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THE 


NATURE,  EFFECTS, 

AND 

PARDON  OF  SIN; 

TO  WHICH 

IS  ADDED  A  WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION  TO 
SINNERS. 


13  Y 

REV.  JNO.  W.  HARSH  A,  A.M. 

PROF.  IN  WESTMINSTER  COLLEGE,  PA. 


“  0  Lord,  pardon  mine  iniquity;  for  it  is  great.”— Ps.  xxv,  11 . 
“  I,  even  I,  am  he  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions  for 
mine  own  sake,  and  will  not  remember  thy  sins.’'— Ah.  xliii,  ‘25. 


♦ 


NEW  YORK: 
PUBLISHED  BY  M.  W.  DODD, 

BRICK  CHURCH  CHAPEL,  CORNER  OF  PARK  ROW. 

OPPOSITE  THE  CITY  HALL. 

1853. 


ALBANY*. 


J.  MUNSELL,  PRINTER, 


TO 


DAVID  A.  HARSHA, 

HIS  BELOVED  BROTHER, 

Author  of  ‘‘Thoughts  on  the  Love  of  Christ;”  ‘‘Christ,  amt 
Him  crucified  ;  ”  “  Immanuel’s  Land,”  &c. 

AXD  TO  HIS 

Prienfls  wd  Jeiioto-Sioiielrs, 

THIS  LITTLE  VOLUME 

Is  affectionately  Inscribed  by  the 

AUTHOR. 


_ _  .... _ 


a  . 


— 


INTRODUCTION. 


Being  disabled  by  laryngeal  affection  from  ad¬ 
dressing  persons  orally,  we  resort  to  the  press, 
which,  though  it  wants  the  eloquence  of  the  living 
speaker,  is  more  extensive  in  its  influence  and 
lasting  in  its  duration.  As  far  as  observation  and 
experience  extend,  no  subject  is  of  more  interest 
and  importance  to  the  sinner,  aroused  to  see  in  the 
light  of  divine  truth,  his  true  character  before 
Jehovah,  than  the  one  under  consideration.  Feel¬ 
ing  his  insignificance  in  the  scale  of  being  and 
his  vileness  as  a  sinner,  he  stands  afar  off,  trem¬ 
bling  under  a  sense  of  extreme  guilt,  and  cries 
for  mercy — God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner. 
Pardon  mine  iniquity  for  it  is  great.  Save  me,  I 
perish. 

This  work  was  originally  designed  for  per¬ 
sonal  satisfaction ;  and  in  offering  it  to  the  public, 
our  object  is  to  exhibit  the  enormous  evil  of  sin — 
to  magnify  the  riches  of  free  grace  in  forgiv¬ 
ing  it — to  encourage  the  anxious,  desponding 
and  despairing  sinner  to  flee  to  God  for  mercy, 
and  so  comfort  others  with  the  comfort  wherewith 
we  ourselves  are  comforted  of  God. 


INTRODUCTION. 


V  i 

Though  it  embraces  a  subject  of  vast  import¬ 
ance,  yet  from  its  nature  and  the  aversion  of  the 
unrenewed  heart  to  any  thing  good,  it  is  not 
expected  that  this  work  will  be  one  of  general 
interest,  eliciting  the  attention  and  applause  of 
the  world,  but  if  it  obtains  the  approbation  of 
Heaven,  relieves  the  awakened  sinner,  and  com¬ 
forts  the  saint,  our  utmost  expectations  will  be 
realized.  In  it  we  have  used  plainness  of  speech, 
and  studied  brevity,  often  stating  general  pro¬ 
positions  and  scripture  passages  without  com¬ 
ment,  and  where  several  passages  occur  together, 
chapter  and  verse  ore  generally  marked  at  the 
end  in  regular  succession.  If  it  will  be  instru¬ 
mental  in  advancing  the  Divine  glory  and  saving 
a  soul  from  death,  we  will  feel  amply  rewarded 
for  our  labors.  We  kuow  our  labor  shall  not  be  in 
vain  in  the  Lord,  who  often  works  by  the  most 
obscure  and  humble  instruments.  In  him  we 
trust;  on  his  grace  and  mercy  we  rely  for  life  and 
salvation  through  the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ.  To 
his  blessing  we  commend  this  work,  praying  that 
sinners  may  be  thereby  converted  unto  Him  who 
is  rich  in  mercy  and  ready  to  forgive  all  who  in 
truth  call  upon  his  name. 


North  Beaver,  Pa. 
May,  1853. 


J.  W.  II. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

Nature  of  Sin, .  9 

CHAPTER  II. 

Effects  of  Sin, .  33 

CHAPTER  III. 

Pardon  of  Sin, .  65 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  necessity  of  Pardon, . -83 

CHAPTER  V. 

Encouragements  to  seek  Pardon, .  97 

CHAPTER  YI. 

Relief  Obtained, .  130 


THE 


NATURE,  EFFECTS  AND 
PARDON  OF  SIN. 


-o- 


CHAPTER  I. 

NATURE  OF  SIN. 

“  I  had  not  known  sin,  but  by  the  law.” — Rom.  vii,  7. 

The  divine  law,  by  which  is  the  knowledge 
of  sin,  is  a  transcript  of  the  moral  nature  of 
God.  It  was  originally  engraven  on  man’s 
heart,  and  is  perpetually  binding  on  all  men, 
in  all  ages,  in  all  places,  and  in  all  circum¬ 
stances.  It  is  holy,  just  and  good;  exceed¬ 
ing  broad,  extending  to  the  thoughts  and 
intents  of  the  heart,  and  serves  as  a  school¬ 
master  to  bring  us  to  Christ.  It  is  perfect 
as  its  author;  needs  no  amendment,  and  is 
not  capable  of  any  improvement.  But  there 
are  many  whose  moral  perceptions  and  sensi¬ 
bilities  are  so  stupified  and  hardened  by  sin 
2 


10 


SIN, 


that  they  neither  see  nor  feel  its  evil  detected 
in  them  by  the  law.  They  are  described  by 
the  pen  of  unerring  wisdom  as  the  whole 
that  need  not  a  physician,  the  just  that  need 
no  repentance,  or  as  men  whose  conscience 
is  seared  with  a  hot  iron,  past  feeling,  twice 
dead,  plucked  up  by  the  roots,  raging  waves 
of  the  sea,  foaming  out  their  own  shame. 
As  they  have  never  been  aroused  by  the  ter¬ 
rors  of  the  law,  to  see  in  the  light  of  heaven 
the  true  state  of  their  souls  before  God,  it 
can  not  be  expected  that  they  will  regard 
with  interest  any  effort  that  may  be  made  to 
point  them  to  the  only  remedy  which  is  pro¬ 
vided  for  the  dying  sinner.  But  it  is  not  so 
with  all.  There  are  others  whose  conscience 
is  tender,  and  who,  smitten  with  the  arrows 
of  God,  both  see  and  feel  the  loathsome  dis¬ 
ease  of  sin  in  their  soul.  These  awakened 
and  anxious  sinners,  weeping  under  a  true 
sense  of  sin,  are  in  diligent  search  for  that 
remedy  which  it  is  the  province  of  the  gos¬ 
pel  to  prescribe,  and  which  they  hold  in  the 
highest  estimation.  Like  the  natural  man 
afflicted  with  some  painful  disease,  they. 


ITS  NATURE. 


11 


regardless  of  cost,  will  ransack  creation  to 
discover  a  true  remedy  for  that  disease, 
which  is  drinking  the  life-blood  of  their 
souls.  Then,  may  the  Holy  Spirit  assist  us  in 
discovering  that  remedy;  and  may  he  apply 
it  to  our  souls,  withering  and  wasting  under 
the  corroding  influence  of  sin,  that  they  may 
yet  bloom  in  immortal  youth,  to  honor  and 
praise  in  triumphant  song  the  God  of  all  our 
mercies. 

Sin  is  a  transgression  of  the  law ,  or  an 
omission  of  what  it  requires.  It  is  any 
thought,  word  or  action,  omission  or  desire, 
contrary  to  the  divine  law;  it  is  rebellion 
against  the  nature  and  authority  of  the 
Supreme  Ruler  of  the  universe,  who  is  of 
purer  eyes  than  to  behold  evil.  Numerous 
passages  of  scripture  warrant  this  definition. 
They  teach  that  omissions  of  duty,  with 
regard  to  God  or  man  are  culpable  and 
ruinous  to  the  soul.  “  Woe  unto  you, 
Scribes,  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  for  ye  pay 
tythe  of  mint,  anise  and  cummin,  and  have 
omitted  the  weightier  matters  of  the  law — 
judgment,  mercy  and  faith.  These  ought 


12 


SIN, 


ye  to  have  done,  and  not  to  leave  the  other 
undone.  Ye  blind  guides,  which  strain  at  a 
gnat,  and  swallow  a  camel.”  Woe  unto 
you,  also,  who  have  no  benevolent  hand,  no 
sympathetic  heart,  to  minister  to  Jesus 
Christ,  in  the  person  of  his  poor  and  afflicted 
and  persecuted  people;  you  have  omitted  the 
requirements  of  the  law  of  nature  and  of 
God:  therefore  ye  shall  go  away  into  ever¬ 
lasting  punishment,  but  the  righteous  into 
life  eternal.  It  was  once  said,  and  is  still 
true  of  the  unrenewed  man,  that  every 
imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  his  heart  is 
only  evil  continually.  The  thought  of  fool¬ 
ishness  is  sin.  The  heart  is  not  only  the 
seat  of  life,  but  also  the  great  source  from 
which  all  actions,  good  and  bad,  flow,  as 
the  stream  from  the  fountain;  out  of  it 
are  the  issues  of  life;  “  out  of  the  heart  pro¬ 
ceed  evil  thoughts,  murders,  adulteries,  forn¬ 
ications,  thefts,  false-witnesses,  blasphemies. 
A  good  man,  out  of  the  good  treasure  of  his 
heart,  bringeth  forth  good  things,  and  an 
evil  man,  out  of  the  evil  treasure  of  his 
heart,  bringeth  forth  evil  things.”  Accord- 


ITS  NATURE. 


13 


ing  to  the  Saviour’s  comment  on  the  law,  the 
wanton  look,  the  secret  and  inordinate  de¬ 
sire,  is  sin  in  the  sight  of  Jehovah,  as  well 
as  the  external  act:  “  whosoever  looketh  on 
a  woman  to  lust  after  her,  hath  committed 
adultery  with  her  already  in  his  heart.” 
Already!  Lust,  when  it  hath  conceived, 
bringeth  forth  sin,  and  sin,  when  it  is  finished, 
bringeth  forth  death.  Alas,  how  many  erro¬ 
neously  think  they  have  fulfilled  the  law  when 
they  have  obeyed  only  the  letter  of  it;  that 
they  have  kept  all  the  commandments,  when 
they  have  left  the  half  undone.  How 
many  flatter  themselves  that,  as  touching  the 
righteousness  of  the  law,  they  are  blameless; 
while  their  hearts  are  yet  impure,  covetous, 
unrenewed,  unbelieving.  But  language  fails 
to  express  the  enormous  evil  of  sin  which  is 
almost  coeval  with  creation,  extending  its 
baneful  influence  wide  as  the  world,  and 
running  parallel  with  eternity. 

“  0  cursed,  cursed  sin  !  traitor  to  God 

And  ruiner  of  man!  mother  of  wo, 

And  death  and  hell — wretched,  yet  seeking  worse.” 


2* 


14 


SIN, 

In  nature,  sin  is  enslaving .  In  this  res¬ 
pect,  thousands  are  slaves  who  would 
scorn  to  be  called  so.  The  Jews  boasted 
that  they  were  never  in  bondage  to  any 
man,  when  they  had  been  in  bondage  four 
hundred  years  in  Egypt,  seventy  years  cap¬ 
tives  in  Babylon,  and  were  then  tributaries 
to  the  Roman  government.  But  to  convince 
them  that  they  were  slaves  of  their  own 
lusts,  a  more  dreadful  tyrant  than  man  to 
man,  Jesus  said,  whosoever  commits  sin  is 
the  servant  of  sin;  and  says  Paul,  know 
ye  not,  that  to  whom  ye  yield  your  members 
to  obey,  his  servants  ye  are  to  whom  ye 
obey,  whether  of  sin  unto  death,  or  of  obedi¬ 
ence  unto  righteousness?  Let  any  one  sin 
obtain  dominion  over  man,  whether  it  be 
pride,  profanity,  intemperance,  licentious¬ 
ness,  self  love,  the  love  of  the  world,  or 
whatever  it  be,  and  it  will  hold  him  to  serv¬ 
itude  cruel  as  the  grave.  Every  thing  must 
bend  to  its  power  and  contribute  to  its  plea¬ 
sure — the  innocence  of  youth,  the  bloom  of 
health,  the  charms  of  beauty,  the  strength 
of  manhood,  the  noble  powers  of  the  mind, 


ITS  NATURE. 


15 


the  treasures  of  earth,  the  trophies  of  war, 
the  laurels  of  fame,  the  sweet  endearments 
of  life,  the  voice  of  conscience,  the  love  and 
service  of  God,  and  eternal  felicity.  I  or 
example,  take  covetousness,  or  the  love  of 
money,  which  is  the  root  of  all  evil,  and  the 
ruling  spirit  of  the  age,  swaying,  in  common 
with  others,  both  the  Throne  and  the  Altar, 
already  casting  their  crowns  and  sacred 
vestments  into  the  “  gold  regions.5’ 

u  Gold  many  hunted,  sweat  and  bled  for  gold, 
Waked  all  the  night,  and  labored  all  the  day, 

*  *  *  admired  and  called 

A  God,  and  in  devout  and  humble  plight 
Before  it  kneeled,  the  greater  to  the  less, 

And  on  its  altar  sacrificed  ease,  peace, 

Truth,  faith,  integrity,  good  conscience,  friends, 

Love,  charity,  benevolence,  and  all 

The  swreet  and  tender  sympathies  of  life; 

And  to  complete  the  horrid,  murderous  rite 
And  signalize  their  folly,  offered  up 
Their  souls,  and  an  eternity  of  bliss, 

To  gain  them  what?  an  hour  of  dreaming  joy, 

A  feverish  hour  that  hasted  to  be  done, 

And  ended  in  the  bitterness  of  wro.” 

All  this  is  true  of  any  other  sin,  espe¬ 
cially  the  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset  us 


16 


SIN, 


it  cries,  give,  give;  and  never  says,  enough. 
It  reigns  in  our  mortal  body  till  subdued  by 
divine  power.  Without  this  power,  all  our 
efforts,  our  prayers,  our  tears,  our  vigilance, 
our  resolutions,  our  vows  and  engagements 
against  it,  are  in  vain.  Here  human  nature, 
with  all  her  pride  and  power  of  intellect, 
must  confess  her  inability  to  do  any  thing 
efficiently  and  meritoriously  good.  “  We 
have  no  might  against  this  great  company 
that  cometh  against  us,  neither  know  we 
what  to  do:  but  our  eyes  are  upon  thee,” — 
our  God  (2  Chron.  xx,  12).  It  is  God  who 
worketh  in  you,  both  to  will  and  to  do  of 
his  good  pleasure.  No  man,  says  Christ, 
can  come  unto  me  except  the  Father  who 
hath  sent  me  draw’  him.  No  man  can  be 
his  own  saviour.  His  spiritual  liberty  and 
salvation  must  be  achieved  by  one  invested 
with  supreme  power.  Accordingly,  when 
his  emancipation  from  sin  is  effected,  he  is 
said  to  be  brought  into  the  glorious  liberty 
of  the  children  of  God.  He  receives  the 
spirit  of  adoption  :  vdiere  this  spirit  of 
Christ  is,  there  is  liberty.  So  the  institu- 


ITS  NATURE. 


17 


tions  of  grace  are  for  the  express  purpose  oi 
proclaiming  liberty  to  the  captive  and  the 
opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that  are 
bound — bound  with  the  servile,  mortal  cords 
of  sin. 

It  is  also  the  nature  of  sin  to  deceive.  It 
allures,  beguiles,  misleads  from  the  great 
fountain  of  life  and  happiness.  Like  its 
author  it  deceives  the  whole  world,  and  like 
him  it  will  yet  be  cast  into  the  bottomless  pit, 
that  it  may  deceive  the  nations  no  more. 
With  the  exception  of  the  Son  of  God,  who 
could  not  be  allured  by  the  offer  of  all  the 
kingdoms  and  glory  of  this  world,  all  orders 
of  intellectual  beings  have  been  deceived 
by  it.  The  abodes  of  innocence  were  not  a 
sufficient  shield  against  its  aggressions. 
The  woman  was  beguiled  and  deceived  bv 
the  lying  lips  of  the  old  serpent,  “  more 
subtile  than  any  beast  of  the  field.5'1  “  The 
man  of  sin”  is  thus  described:  “whose 
coming  is  after  the  working  of  Satan,  with 
all  power  and  signs  and  lying  wonders  in 
them  that  perish.”  He,  and  all  under  his 
power,  have  a  “slight  and  cunning  craft- 


IB 


C1N, 

iness,  whereby  they  lie  in  wait  to  deceive, 
if  it  were  possible,  the  very  elect.”  What 
is  more  deceitful  than  sin?  It  is  said  the 
heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things  —  not 
originally;  nor  when  washed  from  all  guile 
by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  —  but  when 
defiled  with  sin  the  very  quintessence  of  de¬ 
ceit.  So  wine  is  a  mocker  which,  however 
alluring  to  the  eye  and  sweet  to  the  taste, 
at  last  bites  like  a  serpent  and  stings  like 
an  adder.  Sin  assumes  false  titles,  asserts 
false  claims,  offers  false  excuses,  and  makes 
false  resolutions.  It  calls  pride,  dignity; 
prodigality,  generosity;  covetousness,  pru¬ 
dence;  revelry,  sociability.  It  claims  to  do 
evil  from  antiquity  and  custom,  from  the 
prevalence  of  its  influence,  and  from  the 
sanctions  it  receives  from  society.  It  offers 
as  an  excuse,  inability  to  do  otherwise,  con¬ 
stitutional  failing,  the  power  of  Satan,  and 
counter  excellence  of  motive  and  action.  It 
pleads  for  the  present.  It  pleads  the  ease 
and  readiness  of  future  amendments.  It 
determines  only  to  make  a  few  experiments 
in  evil,  and  then  seek  and  walk  in  the  right 


ITS  NATURE. 


19 


way.  It  claims  the  present,  and  gives  the 
uncertain  future  to  better  things,  puts  off 
repentance  ancl  religion  till  to-morrow,  and 
thus  deceives  men.  Here  the  proverb  is 
true:  all  is  not  gold  that  glitters.  All  is 
not  true  that  sin  promises.  Its  allurements 
and  pleasures  are  but  for  a  season;  its  sure 
reward,  its  total  recompense  to  all,  is  vexa¬ 
tion,  disappointment  and  remorse.  Its  mo¬ 
tions  are  trackless  as  the  flight  of  a  comet 


or  the  illusions  of  the  ignis  fatuus,  the  will 
o’  the  wisp,  or  the  way  of  an  eagle  in  the 
air,  the  way  of  a  serpent  upon  a  rock,  or 
the  way  of  a  ship  in  the  midst  of  the  sea. 
It  assumes  every  form  and  garb,  from  the 
dark  serpent’s  coils  to  the  shining  robes  of 
an  angel  of  light.  To  personify  it,  she  has 
a  heart  full  of  guile,  with  lying  tongue  and 
lips  of  flattery,  “  arrayed  in  harlot’s  soft  at¬ 
tire,  she  lies  in  wait  at  every  corner,  and 
says:  I  have  peace  offerings  with  me.  This 
day  have  I  paid  my  vows.  I  have  decked 
my  bed  with  coverings  of  tapestry,  wbth 
carved  wTorks,  with  fine  linen  of  Egypt.  I 
have  perfumed  my  bed  with  myrrh,  aloes  and 


9 


20 


SIN, 

cinnamon.  Come,  let  us  take  our  fill  of  love 
until  the  morning.”  But  he  knows  not  that 
the  snare  is  for  his  life;  for  she  hath  cast 
down  many  wounded;  yea,  many  strong  men 
have  been  slain  by  her.  Her  house  is  the 
way  to  hell,  going  down  to  the  chambers  of 
death.  Alas!  poor  deluded  wretch,  now  the 
laughing-stock  of  devils  and  of  men,  in 
darkness  pursuing  sin,  under  a  thousand 
forms  she  took  and  garbs  she  wore  in  every 
age  and  clime: — 

“  Wretched,  yet  seeking-  worse; 
Polluted  most,  yet  wallowing  in  the  mire; 

Most  mad,  yet  drinking  frenzy’s  giddy  cup — 

Folly  for  wisdom,  guilt  for  innocence, 

Anguish  for  rapture,  and  for  hope,  despair.” 

Nor  is  this  all.  Sin  is  of  a  defiling  and 
deforming  nature.  It  defiles  the  soul  as  filth 
does  the  body.  The  similes  by  which  it  is 
represented  in  the  Bible  lead  to  this  conclu¬ 
sion.  The  plague  of  leprosy,  which  no 
human  skill  and  power  could  remove,  and 
which  because  of  its  ceremonial  uncleanness 
excluded  the  leper  from  the  camp  of  Israel, 
is  a  fit  emblem  of  sin,  which  can  not  be  re- 


ITS  NATURE. 


21 


moved  except  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  and 
which,  because  of  its  moral  pollution,  ex¬ 
cludes  the  impenitent  sinner  from  the  new 
Jerusalem.  Small  in  its  beginning,  yet 
deep-rooted  and  inveterate,  the  leprosy 
spread  and  rendered  the  whole  man  vile;  no 
part  of  the  leper  was  clean,  and  it  was 
transmitted  from  father  to  son — as  Elisha 
said  to  Gehazi:  the  leprosy  of  Naaman  shall 
cleave  unto  thee  and  unto  thy  seed  for  ever. 
It  was  loathsome  in  appearance,  making 
the  eyes  and  countenance  assume  a  horrid 
and  distressing  and  painful  aspect.  It  ren¬ 
dered  life  a  curse  and  the  leper  a  burden  to 
himself.  It  excluded  him  from  society  and 
made  him  an  object  of  terror  to  all  around; 
all dreaded  his  breath  and  were  afraid  to 
meet  him.  It  was  incurable  by  human 
power;  it  polluted  every  thing  it  touched, 
and  generally  produced  the  most  awful  death; 
it  raged  till  the  person  became  one  mass  of 
filth  and  pollution,  and  then  terminated  in 
death.  What  an  emblem  of  the  defiling 
and  deforming  and  ruinous  nature  of  sin! 
Small  in  its  beginning,  yet  deep-rooted  and 
3 


22 


SIN, 


inveterate,  defiling  the  whole  man,  physical, 
mental  and  moral,  it  is  transmitted  from 
father  to  son.  It  extends  to  all  the  faculties 
of  the  soul  and  all  the  members  of  the  body, 
the  whole  man,  the  whole  race.  None  right¬ 
eous;  all  guilty,  abominable  to  God  and  to 
holy  angels.  In  his  natural  state,  filled  with 
anguish,  and  misery  depicted  in  his  counte¬ 
nance,  man  is  excluded  from  the  family  and 
presence  of  the  Lord — his  original  beauty 
faded;  the  divine  image  effaced;  his  holiness 
withered — God  now  beholds  him  loathsome 
and  vile;  his  features  changed;  the  whole 
man  polluted  and  without  strength;  his 
energies  prostrated,  and  himself  debased. 
The  Jews  were  called  a  sinful  nation,  whose 
hands  were  defiled  with  blood  and  fingers 
with  iniquity;  their  leaders  were  likened 
to  whited  sepulchres,  beautiful  without,  but 
within  full  of  dead  men’s  bones  and  all 
uncleanness;  their  hearts  were  like  mystical 
Babylon,  that  is  become  the  habitation  of 
devils,  and  the  hold  of  every  foul  spirit,  and 
a  cage  of  every  unclean  and  hateful  bird. 
Paul,  describing  sin  by  reference  to  a  mode 


ITS  NATURE. 


23 


of  punishment  among  the  Romans,  by  which 
a  dead  body  was  fastened  to  a  living  one, 
and  carried  about,  till  it  would  consume 
away  and  waste  its  stench  in  the  desert  air, 
exclaims,  “  0  wretched  man  that  I  am,  who 
shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death?” 
What  except  sin  is  more  loathsome  than  the 
putrid  carcass  from  which  nature  itself  re¬ 
coils.  Another  simile  is  taken  from  the 
dog  returning  to  his  vomit  again,  and  the 
sow  that  was  washed  to  her  wallowing  in 
the  mire.  The  swine  is  noted  for  its  filth¬ 
iness;  hence  this  is  a  striking  emblem  of  the 
filthy  nature  of  sin.  Every  where  the  script¬ 
ures  denominate  it  by  uncleanness,  pollution, 
corruption,  defilement,  filthiness  of  the  flesh 
and  of  the  spirit.  It  is  said,  all  flesh  had 
corrupted  his  way  upon  the  earth,  and  to 
the  defiled  and  unbelieving  is  nothing  pure, 
yea,  even  their  mind  and  conscience  is  de¬ 
filed — so  defiled  that,  like  a  diseased  man, 
they  call  good  evil,  and  evil  good;  sweet,  > 
bitter,  and  bitter,  sweet.  Th£  spiritual  taste 
of  all  men  in  a  state  of  nature  is  thus  per¬ 
verted,  for  when  God  spread  his  skirt  over 


24 


SIN, 

his  own  people,  he  found  them  in  this  con¬ 
dition,  and  said,  in  the  day  that  thou  was! 
born  no  eye  pitied  thee,  but  thou  wast  cast 
out  in  the  open  field  to  the  loathing  of  thy 
person  in  the  day  that  thou  wast  born,  and 
wrhen  I  passed  by  thee  and  saw  thee  polluted 
in  thine  own  blood,  I  said  unto  thee  when 
thou  wast  in  thy  blood,  live.  When  they 
begin  to  live  that  spiritual  and  immortal 
life,  and  see  how  far  they  are  yet  from  the 
holiness  of  God,  they  in  self  abasement  ex¬ 
claim  before  him:  “  Unclean,  unclean;  woe 
is  me,  for  I  am  undone,  because  I  am  a  man 
of  unclean  lips,  and  dwell  in  the  midst  of  a 
people  of  unclean  lips.  Behold,  I  am  vile; 
wash  me  thoroughly  from  mine  iniquity  and 
cleanse  me  from  my  sin.  Purge  me  wuth 
hyssop,  and  I  shall  be  clean;  wash  me,  and 
I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow;”  and  God  in 
mercy  replies,  I  will  sprinkle  clean  water 
upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be  clean  from  all 
your  filthiness,  and  from  all  your  idols  will  I 
cleanse  you;  I  will  also  save  you  from  all 
your  uncleanness.  There  is  a  fountain 
opened  for  sin  and  for  uncleanness.  Then, 


ITS  NATURE. 


25 


dearly  beloved,  let  us  cleanse  ourselves  from 
all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  and  of  the  spirit, 
perfecting  holiness  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord. 
There  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  the  new 
Jerusalem  any  thing  that  defileth;  for  this 
ye  know,  that  no  whoremonger  nor  unclean 
person,  nor  covetous  man  who  is  an  idol  - 
ator,  hath  any  inheritance  in  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  and  of  God.  Then  lay  aside  all  filth¬ 
iness  and  superfluity  of  naughtiness;  let  no 
corrupt  communication  proceed  out  of  your 
mouth;  let  your  conversation  be  without 
covetousness,  “  the  prevailing  sin  of  the 
world  and  the  ruling  sin  of  the  church.” 
Bridle  the  tongue,  which  defileth  the  whole 
body  and  setteth  on  fire  the  course  of  nature; 
and  it  is  set  on  fire  of  hell.  The  soul  of 
righteous  Lot  was  vexed  with  the  filthy  con¬ 
versation  of  the  wicked  from  day  to  day. 
We  are  exhorted  not  to  defile  with  sin  our 
bodies  which  are  the  temple  of  God.  These 
references,  among  many  others,  prove  beyond 
all  contradiction  the  defiling  nature  of  sin. 
By  its  polluting  touch  all  nature  fades  as  a 
flower  of  the  field  or  a  leaf  of  the  forest 
3* 


26 


SIN, 

nipped  by  an  early  frost.  The  forest  is 
robbed  of  its  vernal  beauty;  so  sin,  dishon¬ 
oring  in  its  nature,  robs  man  of  bis  honor. 
“  Slander,  the  foulest  whelp  of  sin,’’  robs 
him  of  his  good  name,  better  to  him  than 
precious  ointment,  thus  making  him  miser¬ 
ably  poor,  without  enriching  itself.  “With¬ 
out  a  good  name  none  can  sleep  soundly, 
even  on  a  royal  bed,  or  drink  with  relish 
from  a  golden  cup;  but  with  it,  on  his  couch 
of  straw  or  grassy  pillow  beneath  the  azure 
canopy  of  heaven,  the  beggar  takes  undis¬ 
turbed  repose.  Its  price  is  above  riches, health, 
empires,  life  itself.  But  by  sin  man  dishonors 
himself.  The  moment  he  breaks  the  law  he  is 
like  Israel  when  the  ark  was  taken;  his 
glory  is  departed;  his  crown  is  fallen  from 
his  head,  and  he  is  become  the  degenerate 
plant  of  a  strange  vine,  yielding  the  grapes 
of  Sodom  and  the  clusters  of  Gomorrah. 
This  is  true  of  all  sin.  Says  Paul,  thou  that 
abhorrest  idols,  dost  thou  commit  sacrilege? 
Thou  that  makest  thy  boast  of  the  law, 
through  breaking  the  law  dislionorest  thou 
God?  Since  it  tramples  on  the  authority  of 


ITS  NATURE. 


27 


Jehovah,  it  is  true  of  all  sin,  however  small 
in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  that  it  is  dishonor¬ 
ing  to  God  as  well  as  dishonoring  and  ruin¬ 
ous  to  man.  But  some  sins  are  confessedly 
so,  as  idolatry,  licentiousness,  theft,  murder, 
perjury.  Perjury  robs  man  of  fair  reputa¬ 
tion,  and  no  less  so  does  licentiousness, 
whether  it  be  found  in  the  liquid  fires  of  the 
intoxicating  draught,  sinking  man  below  the 
level  of  the  brute,  or  leading  him  to  give 
his  honor  to  the  cruel,  in  the  polluted  em¬ 
brace  of  the  adulterous  bed,  or  the  more 
dark,  putrid  and  poisonous  haunts  of  a  bro¬ 
thel.  “  A  wound  and  dishonor  shall  he  get, 
and  his  reproach  shall  not  be  wiped  away.” 
How  true  is  this  of  man,  and  especially  of 
the  other  sex,  the  guardians  of  virtue,  which 
if  not  kept  inviolate  brings  on  them  an  in¬ 
delible  stain,  which  tears  of  blood  and  oceans 
of  water  can  not  wash  away.  It  is  said  of 
them  that  did  not  like  to  retain  God  in  their 
knowledge,  that  he  gave  them  up  to  dis¬ 
honor  their  own  bodies  between  themselves, 
gave  them  up  to  a  reprobate  mind,  to  do 
those  things  that  are  not  convenient.  The 


2S  sin, 

klolator  degrades  himself  below  the  creature 
of  his  own  hand,  changes  the  glory  of  the 
incorruptible  God  into  an  image  like  to  cor¬ 
ruptible  man,  and  to  birds  and  four-footed 
beasts  and  creeping  things.  The  thief  has 
no  standing  in  society,  nor  scarcely  a  place 
in  the  wide  world  except  within  some  massy 
walls,  iron  gates  and  gloomy  cells*  He  who 
like  Cain  stains  his  hands  with  innocent 
blood,  draws  a  mark  of  infamy  on  his  own 
face  and  wanders  awhile  as  a  vagabond,  or 
at  length  hangs  on  his  own  gibbet.  But, 
strange  to  tell,  by  a  standard  of  false  honor 
in  the  art  of  chivalry,  if  sin  can  be  reduced  to 
a  system  and  practiced  by  her  laws  of  honor 
on  a  large  scale;  vice  is  called  virtue — 
murder,  heroism.  One  word  writes  the  his¬ 
tory.  A  “hero  is  a  murderer  above  the  laws, 
and  greatly  praised  for  doing  murderous 
deeds;”  just  as  in  the  world’s  vocabulary 
“  wealth  means  worth;  wisdom,  the  art  of 
acquiring  it.”  Riches  is  virtue;  poverty, 
crime.  To  call  a  man  rich,  is  to  pronounce 
his  highest  eulogy,  and  to  call  him  poor  is 
to  brand  him  with  infamy.  But,  in  the 
language  of  poetry, 


ITS  NATURE. 


29 


“  Honor  and  shame  from  no  condition  rise, 

Act  well  your  part,  there  all  the  honor  lies  — 
Merit  seldom  shows  itself  bedecked  with  tinsel 
and  fine  clothes ; 

But  hermit  like  ’tis  oftener  used  to  fly  and  hide 
its  beauties  in  obscurity.” 

Ah,  when  will  the  world  look  at  things  in 
their  true  light,  call  them  by  their  right 
names,  and  esteem  and  honor  men  not  for 
their  vices,  nor  for  the  gold  ring  and  goodly 
apparel,  but  for  their  moral  worth — not  for 
their  name, but  for  their  righteous  and  heaven- 
approved  conduct.  When  will  they  learn 
that  divine  and  unalterable  truth,  “righ¬ 
teousness  exalts  a  nation,  but  sin  is  a  re¬ 
proach  to  any  people.” 

In  the  same  way  the  contagious ,  diffusive , 
hardening ,  and  destructive  nature  of  sin 
might  be  described.  It  is  incurable  by  hu¬ 
man  agency.  No  man  can  cure  himself  nor 
deliver  his  brother  from  death.  Human  rea¬ 
son,  human  learning,  human  legislation,  and 
human  systems  of  religion,  have  all  tried, 
but  never  did  any  nor  all  of  them  restore 
one  sin-stricken  soul  to  life  and  health.  All 
have  failed.  God  alone  can  deliver  and  save 


30 


SIN, 

the  soul.  But  as  these  points  will  substan¬ 
tially  appear  again,  it  is  sufficient  now 
merely  to  mention  them.  It  is  generally 
admitted  that  some  diseases  are  contagious, 
so  contagious  that  one  can  scarcely  go  in 
their  atmosphere  without  receiving  the  poi¬ 
sonous  infection.  They  spread  through  a 
town,  city,  country,  and  even  the  world,  and 
like  a  plague;  a  sweeping  rain,  and  over¬ 
whelming  torrent,  carry  thousands  down  the 
stream  to  an  untimely  grave.  As  appears 
from  the  history  of  war,  familiarity  with 
scenes  of  distress  has  a  hardening  tendency. 
It  benumbs  the  sensibilities,  and  closes  the 
avenues  to  the  heart.  All  this  is  true  of  sin. 
It  is  a  moral  plague  which  communicates 
and  diffuses  itself  through  the  whole  country 
and  world,  cutting  down  in  its  course  all, 
without  distinction  and  without  exception. 
Like  the  leaven  in  the  meal  it  spreads 
through  the  whole  human  family.  Hence 
the  testimony  of  scripture,  is  “  evil  commu¬ 
nications  corrupt  good  manners,  and  one  sin¬ 
ner  destroys  much  good;  a  companion  of 
fools  shall  be  destroyed.’5  Sin  reigned  from 


ITS  NATURE. 


31 


Adam  to  Moses.  It  has  spread  through  the 
whole  man;  the  whole  species — not  one 
exempt.  It  has  seared  the  conscience  until 
past  feeling;  twice  dead;  until  man  has  re¬ 
strained  prayer  before  God — grown  bold  in 
crime — gloried  in  his  shame,  and  sat  down 
in  the  scorner’s  chair.  It  closes  the  eye, 
stops  the  ear,  and  hardens  the  heart  against 
the  invitations  of  the  Gospel — the  voice  of 
conscience;  the  strivings  of  the  Holy  Spirit; 
the  admonitions  of  Providence,  and  the 
warnings  of  the  Bible.  Stiffened  in  the  cold 
it  excites  pity,  but  warmed  and  cherished  in 
the  affections,  it  recovers  its  natural  strength 
and  stings  its  benefactor. 

“  Vice  is  a  monster  of  so  frightful  mien, 

Aa  to  be  hated,  needs  but  to  be  seen, 

But  seen  too  oft,  familiar  with  its  face, 

We  first  endure,  then  pity,  then  embrace.” 

But  alas,  it  is  a  mortal  embrace;  sin  when  it 
is  finished  bringeth  forth  death;  the  wages  of 
sin  is  death;  death  in  its  most  alarming  fea¬ 
tures;  death  temporal,  spiritual  and  eternal; 
certain  in  its  event;  irresistible  in  its  ap¬ 
proach;  universal  in  its  extent;  dreadful  in 


32  '  sin, 

its  ravages  and  eternal  in  its  consequences. 
All  this,  unless  the  sting  is  extracted  by 
Him  who  triumphed  over  death  and  the 
grave. 

“  0  death — thou  hast  been  the  terror  long, 

And  murderer  of  all  of  woman  born, 

None  could  escape  thee — 

Thou  satt’st  from  age  to  age  insatiate, 

And  drank  the  blood  of  men,  and  gorged  their  flesh-, 
And  with  thy  iron  teeth  didst  grind  their  bones 
To  powder — treading  out  beneath  thy  feet 
Their  very  names  and  memories-,  the  blood 
Of  nations  could  not  slake  thy  parched  throat. 

No  bribe  could  buy  thy  favour  for  an  hour, 

Or  mitigate  thy  ever  cruel  rage 

For  human  prey.  Gold,  beauty,  virtue,  youth; 

Even  helpless  swaddled  innocency  failed 

To  soften  thy  heart  of  stone;  the  infant’s  blood 

Pleased  well  thy  taste — and  while  the  mother  wept 

Bereaved  by  thee,  lonely  and  waste  in  woe, 

Thy  ever  grinding  jaws  devoured  her  too.” 

“  Death!  great  proprietor  of  all!  ’tis  thine 
To  tread  out  empire,  and  to  quench  the  stars; 

The  sun  himself  by  thy  permission  shines, 

And  one  day  thou  shalt  pluck  him  from  his  sphere.” 

In  view  of  all  this,  well  may  it  be  asked 
in  the  language  of  inspiration:  “  What 


ITS  EFFECTS. 


33 


fruit  had  ye  in  those  things  whereof  ye  are 
now  ashamed,  for  the  end  of  those  things  is 
death.” 


CHAPTER  II. 

EFFECTS  OF  SIN. 

The  tree  is  known  by  his  fruit.  Do  men 
gather  grapes  of  thorns  or  figs  of  thistles? 
Mat.  vi,  16;  xii,  33.  As  sin  is  an  evil  tree 
spontaneously  sprung  up  in  its  own  native 
soil,  it  never  yields  anything  better  than 
thorns.  Its  germ  was  first  found  among 
the  rebel  angels,  but  their  celestial  abode 
being  uncongenial  to  its  growth,  it  has 
planted  its  roots  deep  in  the  earth,  rearing 
its  trunk  and  extending  its  branches  far  and 
wide  through  the  universe  to  supply  fuel  for 
eternal  fires.  To  the  eye  its  luxuriant 
fruit  seems  beautiful  as  apples  of  gold  in 
pictures  of  silver,  and  supposing  it  is  equal¬ 
ly  delicious  to  the  taste,  no  order  of  beings 
was  too  high  and  holy  not  to  pluck  and  eat. 
But  all  have  found  its  poisonous,  mortal  taste 

more  bitter  than  the  gall  of  wormwood  and 
4 


34 


SIN, 

death.  The  angels  of  heaven  found  it  so. 
Among  them,  aspiring  to  be  Gods,  sin  had 
its  origin.  And  there  was  war  in  heaven ; 
Michael  and  his  angels  fought  against  the 
dragon,  and  the  dragon  and  his  angels  fought 
and  prevailed  not,  neither  was  their  place 
found  any  more  in  heaven.  Rev.  xii.  The 
battle  was  soon  decided.  The  Most  High 
prevailed  over  the  rebel  angels,  and  in  “  judg¬ 
ment  pursued  them  with  terrors  to  the  crys¬ 
tal  wall  of  heaven,  and  from  its  verge  cast 
them  down  headlong”  bound  hand  and  foot 
without  hope  and  without  mercy  into  the 
bottomless  pit.  For  them  no  ransom  is  pro¬ 
vided.  They  must  lie  down  in  eternal  de¬ 
spair.  Peter  informs  us  that  God  spared  not 
the  angels  that  sinned,  but  cast  them  down 
to  hell  and  delivered  them  into  chains  of 
darkness,  to  be  reserved  unto  judgment. 
With  reference  to  this  whole  transaction, 
Isaiah  exclaims  “  How  art  thou  fallen,  0 
Lucifer  son  of  the  morning;  thou  thatsaidst 
in  thine  heart  I  will  ascend  into  heaven.  1 
will  exalt  my  throne  above  the  stars  of  God. 
I  will  be  like  the  Most  High,  yet  thou  shalt 


ITS  EFFECTS. 


35 


be  cast  clown  to  hell  to  the  sides  of  the  pit.” 
Isa.  xiv. 


u  But  his  doom 

Reserved  him  to  more  wrath,  for  now  the  thought 
Both  of  lost  happiness  and  lasting  pain 
Torments  him — 

A  dungeon  horrible  on  all  sides  round 

As  one  great  furnace  flamed,  yet  from  those  flames 

No  light,  but  rather  darkness  visible, 

Served  only  to  discover  sights  of  woe — 

Regions  of  sofrow !  doleful  shades !  where  peace 
And  rest  can  never  dwell,  but  torture  without  end 
Still  reigns,  and  a  fiery  deluge  fed 
With  ever-burning  sulphur  unconsumed — 

— But  0  how  fallen!  how  changed — 

Is  this  the  region-,  this  the  soil — the  clime — this  the 
seat 

That  we  must  change  for  heaven?  This  mournful 
gloom 

For  that  celestial  light  ?  be  it  so! — 

Farewell  happy  fields 

Where  joy  forever  dwells !  hail  horrors!  hail 
Infernal  world!  and  thou  profoundest  hell 
Receive  thy  new  possessor!  ” 

So  sung  the  prince  of  poets  concerning 
the  fallen  angels,  and  had  sin  been  confined 
to  them,  this  earth  would  have  remained  in 
its  original  beauty  and  grandeur;  the  blessed 


36  sin. 

abode  of  man.  But  alas!  he  too  has  tasted 
the  bitter  fruit  of  sin  and  felt  the  shock 
that  once  resounded  thro’  the  spacious  vaults 
of  heaven.  Its  first  effect  on  man  was  to 
divest  him  of  his  original  righteousness,  and 
expel  him  from  paradise.  This  first  disobe¬ 
dience  brought  death  into  the  world,  and  all 
our  woe.  That  moment  his  happiness  fled 
like  the  morning  cloud  and  early  dew;  sin 
impaired  all  his  faculties,  physical,  mental, 
and  moral.  It  deprived  him  of  blessings  in¬ 
numerable  both  of  a  temporal  and  spiritual 
nature,  and  brought  on  him  and  his  posterity 
a  train  of  positive  evils  without  number  and 
without  end.  Speaking  of  man’s  first  sin, 
the  sacred  historian  says,  their  eyes  w^ere 
opened,  and  they  knew  that  they  were  na¬ 
ked.  Knew  that  by  their  own  wayward  act 
they  were  divested  of  original  righteousness; 
of  the  divine  image;  of  their  crown  which 
had  now  fallen  from  their  heads,  and  knew 
that  they  had  thus  become  wretched,  miser¬ 
able,  unprotected,  and  exposed  to  the  wrath 
of  an  offended  God.  As  a  consequence  of 
this  act,  fear  and  shame  and  anguish  seized 


ITS  EFFECTS. 


37 


their  hearts,  and  trembling  all  dismayed, 
they  hid  themselves  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord  God,  among  the  trees  of  the  garden. 
But  he  whose  eyes  are  as  a  flame  of  fire: 
before  whom  all  things  are  naked  and  open; 
who  searches  Jerusalem  as  with  lighted  can¬ 
dles,  and  sets  our  secret  faults  before  the 
brightness  of  his  face;  discovered  them  in 
their  concealment,  and  summoned  them  to 
appear  before  his  presence,  and  passed  a 
sentence  multiplying  their  sorrow;  dooming 
them  to  the  toils  and  miseries  of  life,  and 
finally  to  death  itself;  expelling  them  from 
that  garden  which  was  too  holy  and  delight¬ 
ful  to  be  an  abode  of  the  guilty,  and  sending 
them  into  the  wide  world  now  cursed  for 
their  sake,  where  new  toils  and  new  trou¬ 
bles  awaited  them.  And  the  Lord  God  said, 
Behold  the  man  is  become  as  one  of  us,  to 
know  good  and  evil,  and  now  lest  he  put 
forth  his  hand  and  take  also  of  the  tree  of 
life  and  live  forever;  therefore  the  Lord 
God  sent  him  forth  from  the  garden  of  Eden 
to  till  the  ground  from  whence  he  was  taken. 
So  he  drove  out  the  man,  and  he  placed 
4* 


•  38 


SIN, 


Cherubim  and  a  flaming  sword  which  turned 
every  way,  to  keep  the  way  of  the  tree  of 
life.  It  is  true  that  the  sentence  of  death 
threatened  in  case  of  disobedience,  was  not 
literally  executed  on  man  in  the  day  he 
sinned;  but  that  moment  he  died  spiritually 
and  legally,  and  became  mortal  and  liable 
to  temporal  and  eternal  death.  The  seeds  of 
mortality  were  sown  in  his  constitution. 
His  body  was  now  subject  to  internal  dis¬ 
eases  and  external  injuries;  it  was  exposed 
to  the  wasting  influence  of  the  elements;  it 
was  doomed  to  decline  in  vigour  and  activity 
and  to  feel  the  infirmities  of  old  age  and  at 
last  sink  into  the  grave.  At  the  same  time 
his  mind  was  disturbed  with  fear  hitherto 
unknown,  and  the  awful  prospect  of  the 
termination  of  his  earthly  career  aggravated 
the  other  evils  which  he  suffered  and  embit¬ 
tered  his  remaining  pleasures.  He  lost  all 
hope  of  the  happiness  which  would  have 
been  the  reward  of  his  obedience,  and  would 
have  consisted  in  the  enjoyment  of  endless 
life  and  felicity.  His  right  to  it  depended 
on  his  fulfilling  the  terms  of  the  covenant. 


ITS  EFFECTS* 


39 


and  as  he  failed  to  fulfill  them,  he  had  no  claim 
to  the  promise.  That  noble  prize  which 
would  have  blessed  him  and  his  posterity 
through  the  ages  of  eternity  was  forever 
forfeited*  He  fell  under  the  curse,  and  be¬ 
ing  unable  to  extricate  himself  from  its 
powrer,  he  was  still  less  capable  of  regain¬ 
ing,  by  his  utmost  exertions  the  immense  re¬ 
ward  which  having  been  once  rejected, 
would  not  be  offered  again.  He  was  rejec¬ 
ted  from  paradise  that  he  might  not  with 
presumptuous  hand  pluck  the  fruit  of  the 
tree  of  life;  the  symbol  and  seal  of  immor¬ 
tality.  In  the  day  of  his  transgression  he 
underwent  spiritual  death.  His  sin  shed  its 
baneful  influence  over  his  soul,  and  in  a  mo¬ 
ment  turned  its  beauty  into  deformity.  The 
image  of  God  was  totally  lost.  The  tie  that 
bound  him  to  his  Creator,  and  inspired  and 
sustained  his  moral  excellence,  withered  and 
died  like  the  verdure  of  autumn.  “  Nothing 
remained  but  his  natural  faculties,  weakened 
and  corrupted ;  a  darkened  understanding,  a 
wayward  will;  sensual  appetites,  and  irre¬ 
gular  affections.  The  change  was  sudden* 


40 


SIN, 

but  it  was  complete.  Human  nature  was 
essentially  the  same,  but  it  was  divested  of 
its  brightest  ornaments.”  Its  glory  was  de¬ 
parted.  The  effects  of  sin  spread  over  the 
whole  human  family.  It  is  owing  to 
Adam’s  sin,  that  “  death  has  ever  since  been 
making  havoc  of  mankind,  and  sweeping 
one  generation  after  another  into  the  grave. 
It  is  owing  to  his  sin  that  holiness  has  been 
banished  from  the  earth,  and  crimes  and 
miseries  have  been  multiplied  from  age  to 
age;  it  is  owing  to  his  sin  that  myriads  of 
beings  capable  of  immortal  felicity,  and 
endless  improvement  have  been  lost,  and  are 
doomed  to  spend  an  interminable  existence 
in  sorrow  and  despair.’’  By  one  man,  sin 
entered  into  the  world,  and  death  by  sin, 
and  so  death  passed  upon  all  men  for  that 
all  have  sinned.  Ro.  v,  12.  This  truth  is 
corroborated  by  the  sufferings  and  death  of 
infants  which  can  not  be  accounted  for  ex¬ 
cept  by  admitting  that  they  sinned  and  fell 
in  Adam  as  the  representative  of  his  pos¬ 
terity.  God  is  infinitely  holy  and  just,  and 
never  can  inflict  punishment  on  an  innocent 


STS  EFFECTS. 


41 


being,  and  especially  such  a  punishment  as 
death,  without  ceasing  to  be  what  he  is,  a 
“  God  of  truth  and  without  iniquity,  just 
and  right  is  he — just  in  all  that  is  brought 
on  us — a  just  God  and  a  Saviour,”  to  whom 
it  may  well  be  said: 

Justice  and  judgment  of  thy  throne  are  made  the 
dwelling  place;  [face. 

Mercy,  accompanied  with  truth,  shall  go  before  thy 

Death  reigned  from  Adam  to  Moses  even 
over  them  that  had  not  sinned  after  the  si¬ 
militude  of  Adam’s  transgression.  Ro.  v, 
14.  But  waiving  this  point,  “  the  body  is 
affected  by  the  elements;  by  vicissitudes  of 
cold  and  heat;  by  the  air  which  it  breathes; 
by  the  rain  and  dew  of  heaven:  by  exhala¬ 
tions  from  the  earth,  and  the  waters,  which 
cause  sickness,  pain,  debility  and  decay.  It 
is  worn  out  by  the  toil  which  is  necessary 
to  procure  a  subsistence.”  Diseases  of  va¬ 
rious  names  which  assail  us  by  day  and  by 
night;  earthquakes,  famine  and  pestilence, 
are  means  by  which  God  avenges  the  viola¬ 
tion  of  his  law.  To  these  may  be  added, 
“  the  anxiety,  the  fear,  the  disappointments, 


42 


SIN, 

the  regret,  the  foreboding  apprehensions 
which  haunt  the  mind,  and,  in  consequence 
of  the  intimate  connection  between  the  soul 
and  body,  make  the  latter  pine  away  and 
sink  into  an  untimely  grave.”  Even  tem¬ 
poral  death  is  a  great  evil.  It  was  particu¬ 
larly  so  to  Adam,  who  having  the  prospect 
of  eternal  life  and  endless  felicity  was  sud¬ 
denly  brought  to  a  state  that  would  soon  ter¬ 
minate  in  darkness.  He  must  have  trembled 
at.  the  dreadful  sentence,  and  been  for  a  mo¬ 
ment  sunk  in  despair.  Though  life  does  not 
now  possess  the  attractions  it  did  to  him, 
yet  all  that  a  man  hath  will  he  give  for  his 
life.  It  is  his  constant  care  and  labor  to 
preserve  it  and  to  support  it  from  dangers 
and  repair  its  injuries,  he  calls  in  the  aid  of 
others.  The  very  thought  of  dissolution  is 
terrible,  at  which  we  shudder  and  turn  pale. 
“  To  be  arrested  in  the  midst  of  our  career; 
to  be  separated  forever  from  those  we  love; 
to  close  our  eyes  for  the  last  time  on  the 
light  of  the  sun;  to  give  up  our  joys  and 
hopes  with  our  parting  sigh,”  is  an  evil  of 
no  small  magnitude,  and  if  temporal  death 


ITS  EFFECTS. 


43 


is  such  an  evil,  what  is  spiritual  and  eternal? 
No  tongue  during  the  longest  period  of  time 
can  answer  this  question.  Its  solution  re¬ 
mains  for  eternity.  But  this  evil  in  all  its 
magnitude  is  the  effect  of  sin;  yea  the  first 
sin  of  man,  which  to  the  unreflecting  mind 
appears  trifling,  but  which  expelled  man 
from  paradise;  brought  death  into  the  world 
and  all  our  woe. 

“  O  unexpected  stroke,  worse  than  death! 

Must  I  leave  thee  Paradise?  thus  leave 
Thee  native  soil?  These  happy  walks  and  shades 
Fit  haunt  of  Gods?  where  I  had  hope  to  spend 
Quiet  though  sad,  the  respite  of  that  day 
That  must  be  mortal  to  us  both.  O  flowers 
That  never  will  in  other  climate  grow, 

My  early  visitation  and  my  last — 

Thee  lastly  nuptial  bower  by  me  adorn’d 

With  what  to  sight  or  smell  was  sweet,  from  thse 

How  shall  I  part,  and  wither  wander  down 

Into  a  lower  world,  to  this  obscure 

And  wild?  How  shall  we  breathe  in  other  air 

Less  pure,  accustomed  to  immortal  fruits?” 

Did  sin  cast  the  angels  out  of  heaven  in¬ 
to  the  regions  of  despair;  did  it  drive  mad 
out  of  paradise  into  a  world  of  sin  and  sor¬ 
row;  rob  him  of  the  divine  image;  hide 


44 


sn^ 

God’s  face  and  prevent  that  enjoyment  with 
him,  which  belonged  to  a  state  of  innocence, 
so  it  still  deprives  him  of  that  communion 
which  is  the  earnest  and  constant  desire  of 
the  heaven-born  soul;  hides  God’s  face  and 
draws  a  cloud  over  the  evidences  of  his  fa¬ 
vour  and  loving  kindness  which  are  better 
than  life.  This  is  beyond  doubt,  and  this  is 
the  reason  why  so  many  Christians  walk  in 
darkness  and  have  no  light.  Sin  of  some 
kind  and  degree  deprives  them  of  it.  Your 
iniquities  have  separated  between  you  and 
your  God,  and  your  sins  have  hid  his  face 
from  you  that  he  will  not  hear;  for  what 
fellowship  hath  righteousness  with  unrigh¬ 
teousness,  and  what  communion  hath  light 
with  darkness,  and  what  concord  hath  Christ 
with  Belial.  Isa.  lix,  2;  2  Cor.  vi.,  14,  15, 
It  not  only  hides  his  face  but  stops  his  ears 
against  our  prayers.  If  I  regard  iniquity  in 
my  heart  the  Lord  will  not  hear  me.  Ps. 
3xvi.,  18.  If  we  have  no  tokens  of  God’s 
favor  or  light  of  his  countenance,  or  answer 
to  prayer,  it  is  because  of  sin.  Yea,  it  pre¬ 
vents  blessings  without  number,  affecting 


ITS  EFFECTS. 


45 


nature  itself  as  well  as  man  and  beast. 
Cursed  is  the  ground  for  thy  sake,  in  sorrow 
shalt  thou  eat  of  it  all  the  days  of  thy  life. 
Thorns  also  and  thistles  shall  it  bring  forth 
to  thee.  The  testimony  of  scripture  is,  that 
the  whole  creation,  groans  and  travails 
together  in  pain  till  now;  with  pain  inflic¬ 
ted  by  barbarous  and  unmerciful  men  on 
animals  in  their  service;  with  pain  from 
cruelty,  starvation,  and  consequent  decay. 
The  eruptions  of  the  burning  mountain,  and 
the  reeling  of  the  rumbling  earthquake;  the 
fury  of  the  howling  wind  and  raging  tem¬ 
pest,  and  ocean’s  roar,  and  thunder’s  peal,  or 
the  war  of  elements,  together  with  the  fires, 
of  persecution,  and  desolations  of  wars 
famine,  plague  and  pestilence;  their  conse¬ 
quent  attendants,  are  all  indications  of  na¬ 
ture  groaning  under  the  wide  spread  evil  of 
sin.  Because  of  it  the  showers  of  heaven 
are  stayed,  and  the  fields  yield  no  meat;  the 
flock  is  cut  off  from  the  fold,  and  there  is  no 
herd  in  the  stall.  A  fruitful  land  is  turned 
into  barrenness,  for  the  wickedness  of  those 
that  dwell  therein;  for  this  the  showers  of 

5 


46 


SIN, 

heaven  have  been  withholden;  the  former 
and  Jatter  rain  are  not  given.  He  reserveth 
unto  us  the  appointed  weeks  of  harvest;  be¬ 
cause,  says  the  prophet,  your  iniquities  have 
turned  away  these  things,  and  your  sins  have 
withholden  good  things  from  you.  Jer.  v, 
25.  And  Zechariah  foretold,  that  upon  those 
who  would  not  come  up  to  Jerusalem,  to 
worship  the  king,  the  Lord  of  hosts,  even 
upon  them  there  shall  be  no  rain.  Ah,  how 
seldom  men  now  think  that  irreligion  is  the 
cause  of  drought  and  of  famine.  They  will 
not  worship  the  King  of  heaven,  and  honor 
him  with  their  substance;  hence  their  barns 
are  not  filled  with  plenty  and  their  presses 
do  not  burst  out  with  new  wine.  They  sow  • 
much  and  bring  in  little;  they  earn  wages 
to  put  it  into  a  bag  with  holes.  Why?  saith 
the  Lord  of  hosts.  Because  of  mine  house 
that  is  waste,  and  ye  run  every  man  to  his 
own  house;  therefore  the  heaven  over  you  is 
stayed  from  dew,  and  the  earth  is  stayed 
from  her  fruit.  (Hag.  i.)  For  sin,  temporal, 
spiritual  and  eternal  punishment  is  inflicted 
on  individuals  and  nations.  A  melancholy 


ITS  EFFECTS.  47 

list  of  evils  threatened  against  the  disobe¬ 
dient,  is  found  in  Deuteronomy,  28th  chapter. 
Among  these  are  vexation,  disappointment, 
the  sword,  famine,  pestilence,  destruction, 
frowns  of  heaven  and  of  the  earth,  whose 
rain  shall  be  powder  and  dust;  captivity, 
madness,  blindness,  astonishment,  the  want 
of  burial,  the  botch  of  Egypt,  the  defilement 
and  bereavement  of  those  we  hold  most 
dear;  oppression  and  evil  evermore.  Ac¬ 
cording  to  the  law  of  his  house,  Jehovah 
punished  his  people  for  all  their  iniquities; 
visited  their  transgressions  with  the  rod,  and 
their  iniquities  with  stripes.  For  his  sin, 
the  sword  never  departed  from  David’s 
house,  and  for  the  iniquity  of  Israel’s  covet¬ 
ousness,  the  Lord  says,  I  was  wroth  and 
smote  him.  I  hid  me  and  was  wrroth  be¬ 
cause  they  forsook  and  limited  the  Most 
High,  and  forgot  his  wonders  in  Egypt, 
when  he  destroyed  their  vines  with  hail,  and 
their  sycamore  trees  with  frost,  and  gave 
their  cattle  also  to  hail,  and  their  flocks  to 
hot  thunder  bolts;  because  they  turned  back 
from  him,  and  moved  him  to  jealousy  with 


/ 


48 


SIN, 


their  graven  images,  he  forsook  Israel,  and 
delivered  his  strength  into  captivity;  gave 
his  people  over  to  the  sword;  the  fire  con¬ 
sumed  their  young  men,  and  their  maidens 
were  not  given  in  marriage;  their  priests  fell 
by  the  sword,  and  their  widows  made  no 
lamentations.  For  their  murmuring  and 
mutiny,  their  unbelief  and  carnal  aposta¬ 
tizing  spirit  in  not  following  the  Lord  whol¬ 
ly,  they  were  sent  from  the  borders  of  Canaan 
into  the  howling  wilderness,  where  they 
consumed  their  days  in  vanity,  and  their 
years  in  trouble;  and  though,  as  a  people, 
they  eventually  inherited  the  land  of  promise, 
yet  their  subsequent  captivity  in  Babylon, 
and  subjection  to  the  Roman  government, 
and  their  present  dispersion  among  all  na¬ 
tions,  is  a  living  monument  of  the  dreadful 
effects  of  sin.  It  affects  the  mental ,  moral 
and  physical  man.  This  is  true,  especially 
of  intemperance  and  sensuality.  How  much 
physical  strength,  and  mental  energy,  and 
moral  principle — how  many  cities  and  armies 
have  been  ruined  by  the  intoxicating  draught? 
— how  much  discord  and  ruin  in  families. 


ITS  EFFECTS. 


49 


'churches  and  society — how  much  disease, 
poverty  and  crime,  and  disgrace,  and  pre¬ 
mature  and  eternal  death  has  it  occasioned  ? 
Let  the  downfall  of  Babylon  and  the  Roman 
empire — let  history,  sacred  and  profane — let 
our  prisons  and  courts  of  justice — let  physici¬ 
ans  and  hospitals — let  the  tears  of  widows  and 
orphans,  and  let  the  word  of  eternal  truth 
■answer  these  enquiries,  each  of  which  might 
furnish  a  separate  volume.  “  Who  hath  woe, 
who  hath  sorrow,  who  hath  contentions, 
who  hath  babblings,  who  hath  wounds  with¬ 
out  cause,  who  hath  redness  of  eyes?  They 
that  tarry  long  at  the  wine,  they  that  go  1o 
seek  mixed  wine.”  “  The  drunkard  shall  not 
inherit  the  kingdom  of  God.”  The  same 
ruinous  effect  is  produced  on  the  moral 
principle,  on  body,  soul  and  spirit,  by  sen¬ 
suality.  It  has  produced  filthy  conversation 
and  hereditary  disease.  It  has  prostrated 
the  noblest  powers  of  man  to  the  level  of  an 
idiot;  brought  him  to  poverty  and  disgrace, 
and  sunk  him  into  the  pit  of  eternal  death. 
Trampling  on  all  law,  human  and  divine, 
and  natural,  it  often  places  its  victim  beyond 

6* 


50 


SIN, 

the  reach  of  recovery;  lor  by  means  of  a. 
whorish  woman  a  man  is  brought  to  a  piece 
of  bread.  None  that  go  unto  her  return 
again,  she  hath  cast  down  many  wounded, 
yea,  many  strong  men  have  been  slain  by 
her.  Her  house  is  the  way  to  hell,  going 
down  to  the  chambers  of  death.  Hence,  re¬ 
move  thy  way  far  from  her,  and  come  not 
nigh  the  door  of  her  house,  lest  thou  give 
thine  honor  unto  others,  and  thy  years  unto 
the  cruel; — lest  strangers  be  filled  with  thy 
wealth  and  thou  mourn  at  the  last,  when  thy 
Jlesh  and  thy  body  are  consumed,  and  say, 
how  have  I  hated  instruction,  and  my  heart 
despised  reproof,  and  have  not  obeyed  the 
voice  of  my  teachers,  nor  inclined  mine  ear 
to  them  that  instructed  me.  (Prov.) 

“At  morn 

I  looked  and  saw  him  not  among  the  youths, 

I  heard  his  father  mourn,  his  mother  weep; 

For  none  returned  that  went  with  her ;  the  dead 
Were  in  her  house;  her  guests  in  depths  of  hell: 

She  wove  the  winding  sheet  of  souls  and  laid 
Them  in  the  urn  of  everlasting  death.” 

The  mental  anxiety  and  distress,  the  ter¬ 
rors  that  surprise  the  hypocrite,  the  gnaw- 


ITS  EFFECTS, 


51 


ings  of  a  guilty  conscience  which  needs  no 
accuser,  the  fearful  apprehensions  of  punish¬ 
ment,  both  in  this  life  and  in  the  next,  and 
the  stupifying  and  searing  of  the  conscience 
to  such  an  extent,  that  men  call  evil  good 
and  good  evil,  and  glory  in  their  shame. 
All  these  are  the  fruits  of  sin.  Sinners  in 
Zion  are  afraid,  fearfullness  hath  surprised 
the  hypocrite,  a  dreadful  sound  is  in  his  ears — 
in  prosperity  the  destroyer  shall  come  upon 
him.  The  wicked  flee  when  no  man  pursues* 
All  sinners  are  afraid  of  divine  judgments, 
and  loss  of  reputation.  Joseph’s  brethren, 
under  a  mysterious  providence,  were  afraid, 
and  said  one  to  another,  We  are  verily  guilty 
concerning  our  brother,  in  that  we  saw  the 
anguish  of  his  soul,  when  he  besought  us,  and 
we  would  not  hear;  therefore  is  this  distress 
come  upon  us;  and  Judah  said,  What  shall 
we  say  unto  my  Lord  ?  and  what  shall  we 
speak?  or  how’  shallwe  clear  ourselves?  God 
hath  found  out  the  iniquity  of  thy  servants. 
(Gen.  xlii,  xxi,  44,  16.)  David  was  afraid 
that  he  would  be  cast  out  of  God’s  sight,  like 
those  that  lie  in  the  grave,  who  are  no  more 


52 


six, 

remembered,  and,  under  the  wasting  influence 
of  this  fear,  said,  my  flesh  trerableth  for  fear 
of  thee,  and  I  am  afraid  of  thy  judgments. 
(Ps.)  xxxviii,5;  cxix,  120.)  Even  Job  said, 
the  thing  I  greatly  feared  is  come  upon  me — 
the  terrors  of  God  are  within  me,  the  poison 
whereof  drinks  up  my  spirits.  These  mental 
troubles  are  expressed  in  scripture,  by  waters 
coming  into  the  soul — by  water  spouts — by 
wave  succeeding  wave  and  billows  passing 
over  the  soul — by  sinking  in  deep  mire — by  a 
loathsome  disease  —  by  broken  bones,  and 
roaring  night  and  day, — by  wrath,  lying  hard, 
and  the  terrors  of  God  sticking  fast  in  the 
sinner,  by  a  body  of  death,  by  the  sorrows  of 
hell  encompassing  the  soul,  and  by  many  such 
similies  as  appears  from  Job,  David  and  Paul. 
These  are  divine  rebukes  for  sin,  distressing 
the  soul,  and  wasting  the  conscience,  awaken¬ 
ed  by  a  sense  of  guilt.  This  is  the  worm  that 
never  dies,  the  fire  that  is  never  quenched, 
but  produces  eternal  weeping  and  wailing, 
and  gnashing  of  teeth.  These  are  some  of 
the  dire  effects  of  sin,  seen  in  the  poverty, 
and  distress,  and  disappointment,  and  afflict- 


ITS  EFFECTS. 


53 


ions,  and  crosses  of  the  world,  and  in  the 
gloom  of  the  grave — seen  in  the  torments  of 
an  awakened  conscience,  smitten  by  the  light¬ 
nings  of  divine  wrath,  and  aroused  from  its 
stupor  to  the  horrors  of  despair  —  seen  in 
separation  from  God,  the  fountain  of  life  and 
comfort-— and  seen  in  the  first  great  sin  which 
brought  down  the  curse  of  Jehovah  on  count¬ 
less  generations,  and  ruined  the  world. 

But  the  clearest  view  of  the  evil  of  sin ,  is 
obtained  from  the  hill  of  Calvary ,  crimsoned 
with  blood  divine.  There  Jesus  paid  the  enor¬ 
mous  debt  of  sin  by  the  price  of  his  own 
blood.  Though  he  was  rich,  yet  for  your 
sakes  he  become  poor  that  ye  through  his 
poverty  might  be  rich.  He  was  daily  his 
Father’s  delight,  rejoicing  always  before 
him,  but  he  veiled  his  uncreated  glory  in 
our  nature,  to  make  atonement  for  sin,  and 
raise  us,  guilty  and  wretched  with  crime,  to 
the  throne  and  dignity  of  heaven  !  Passing 
great  were  his  humiliation  and  sufferings, 
who  being  in  the  form  of  God  thought  it 
not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God,  but  made 
himself  of  no  reputation,  and  took  upon  him 


54 


SIN, 

the  form  of  a  servant,  and  was  made  in  the 
likeness  of  men,  and  being  found  in  fashion 
as  a  man,  he  humbled  himself  and  became 
obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the 
cross.  In  the  obedience  and  sufferings  of 
Christ,  even  unto  death,  is  given  the  clearest 
possible  evidence  of  the  Father’s  displeasure 
at  sin.  Who  can  comprehend  the  full  im¬ 
port  of  that  language.  “  He  spared  not  his 
own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for  us  all” 
— delivered  him  up  to  the  vengeance  of  the 
broken  and  inexorable  law — to  the  furbished 
sword  of  inflexible  justice — to  the  insatiable 
demands  of  avarice,  bigotry  and  prejudice — 
to  the  rage  of  his  implacable  enemies — to 
the  cruelty  of  the  merciless  soldiery — to  the 
buffeting  of  Satan,  and  the  cup  of  wrath  due  to 
us  for  sin.  God  delivered  up  his  only  begotten 
Sou,  ihe  brightness  of  his  glory,  and  the  ex¬ 
press  image  of  his  person,  to  sufferings  and 
death  for  sinners!  This  dear  Saviour — this 
Son  of  the  Highest  was  made  flesh — made  of 
a  woman — made  under  the  law — born  in  a 
stable  and  laid  in  a  manger — was  an  exile 
from  his  country — despised  of  men  and  re- 


ITS  EFFECTS. 


55 


jected  of  the  people,  prayed  to  depart  out  of 
their  coasts,  reproached  as  a  Galilean,  as  a 
perverter  of  the  nation,  as  a  wine  bibber, 
a  gluttonous  man,  a  friend  of  publicans 
and  sinners,  a  deceiver,  a  blasphemer,  in 
league  with  Satan  casting  out  devils — was 
stricken,  smitten  of  God  and  afflicted.  Fol¬ 
low  him  to  the  garden  of  Gethsemane,  bapti¬ 
sed  with  his  bloody  sweat,  where  heart¬ 
broken  with  reproach,  and  full  of  heaviness, 
without  any  to  pity  or  comfort  him,  and 
being  in  agony,  he  prayed  more  earnestly, 
while  the  disciples  where  fast  asleep  on  that 
sacred  ground.  It  was  night.  The  noise  of 
tumultuous  life  had  ceaSed,  nature  was  at 
rest,  the  stars  poured  down  their  splendor, 
and  the  gentle  breezes,  fragrant  with  spices, 
blew  softly  along.  Jerusalem  slumbered  in 
security,  disturbed  only  by  the  watchman’s 
step  and  the  murmuring  of  Kedron  passing 
by.  All  was  tranquil,  when  lo!  torches  were 
seen  advancing  in  the  distance,  and  the  on¬ 
ward  march  of  soldiery  soon  broke  the  sweet 
repose — their  helmets  and  shields  glittered  in 
the  blazing  light  of  their  torches.  They 


56 


SIN, 

advanced,  guided  on  their  way  by  the  in¬ 
famous  traitor,  and,  in  a  moment,  Jesus  was 
surrounded  by  the  “bulls  of  Bashan,”  betray¬ 
ed  with  a  kiss,  seized  and  taken,  as  a  prisoner 
from  the  garden  through  the  streets  of  Jeru¬ 
salem  to  the  house  of  the  high  priest.  Peter 
followed  afar  off.  The  chief  priests  and 
scribes  stood  and  vehemently  accused  him. 
Herod  with  his  men  of  war  set  him  at  nought, 
mocked  him,  arrayed  him  in  a  gorgeous  robe, 
and  sent  him  again  to  Pilate  who,  after  ex¬ 
amination,  found  no  fault  in  him,  and  resolved 
to  chastise  him  and  release  him;  but  this 
only  added  fuel  to  the  flame  of  passion  al¬ 
ready  kindled,  and  they  cried  out  all  at  once, 
away  with  him,  crucify  him,  crucify  him! 
Pilate  said  unto  them  the  third  time,  why, 
what  evil  hath  he  done?  I  have  found  no 
cause  of  death  in  him,  I  will  therefore  chas¬ 
tise  him  and  let  him  go  ;  but  they  were 
instant  with  loud  voices,  requiring  that  he 
might  be  crucified,  and  the  voices  of  them 
and  the  chief  priests  prevailed.  Then,  the 
blessed  Jesus  was  delivered  up  to  the  base 
and  infuriated  multitude,  who  like  ravening 


ITS  EFFECTS. 


57 


wolves,  wreaked  on  him  all  their  infernal 
rage,  and  like  hissing  adders  began  to  spit 
in  his  face,  and  smite  him  with  the  palms  of 
their  hands,  and  with  reeds,  to  buffet  him,  to 
cover  his  face,  and  with  insulting  mockery, 
cry,  Prophecy,  who  it  is  that  smote  Thee. 
They  put  a  crown  of  thorns  on  his  head,  and 
led  him  away  to  be  crucified.  The  tumult 
now  rose  to  its  height,  the  raging  waves  of 
human  passion  displayed  all  their  terrors,  and 
he  gave  his  back  to  the  smiters  and  his 
cheeks  to  them  that  plucked  off*  the  hair. 
When  he  was  reviled  he  reviled  not  again, 
when  he  suffered  he  threatened  not,  but  com¬ 
mitted  himself  to  him  that  judgeth  righteous¬ 
ly.  Neither  Pilate  nor  the  prince  of  this 
world  found  any  fault  in  him,  yet  the  raging 
multitude,  deaf  to  every  feeling  of  humanity, 
and  the  voice  of  conscience,  cried  out,  away 
with  him,  crucify  him,  crucify  him,  his  blood 
be  on  us  and  on  our  children.  A  thousand 
voices  on  every  side  uttered  in  wild  confusion, 
this  fearful  language,  and  Pilate  gave  sen¬ 
tence  that  it  should  be  as  they  required. 
Dreadful  sentence  !  Amid  these  insulting 


58 


SIN, 

enemies,  and  the  carnal  security  of  that  city 
over  which  he  wept,  the  Saviour  passed, 
bearing  his  cross,  till  nature  failed,  when 
Simon,  a  Cyrenian,  was  compelled  to  bear 
the  cross  after  Jesus,  to  the  place  of  execu¬ 
tion.  To  his  friends,  following  after,  ming- 
ling  their  lamentations  with  the  shouts  of 
the  mob,  he  exclaimed  in  plaintive  tones, 
weep  not  for  me,  but  weep  for  yourselves 
and  for  your  children.  At  length  they  reach 
the  top  of  Calvary,  and  stretch  Jesus  upon 
the  cross — the  nails  are  driven  through  the 
quivering  tendons  of  his  hands  and  feet — 
then  he  is  raised  from  the  ground,  and  with 
his  whole  weight  hanging  on  the  nails,  he 
is  left  to  die,  amidst  the  reproach  of  his  foes, 
crying  “He  saved  others,  himself  he  can  not 
save — come  down  from  the  cross  if  thou  be 
be  the  Son  of  God.”  But  what  were  these 
revilings,  wrhat  the  cross,  what  the  thorny 
crown,  what  the  spitting,  and  smiting,  and 
scourging,  and  mocking  of  his  foes,  what 
the  buffeting  of  Satan,  what  the  desertion  of 
his  friends,  what  was  all  else,  to  the  desertion 
of  his  Father  and  the  cup  wrhich  he  gave 


♦ 


ITS  EFFECTS.  59 

him  to  drink?  It  was  this  that  made  the 
waters  come  into  his  soul  now  troubled  and 
exceeding  sorrowful,  even  unto  death,  melt¬ 
ed  like  wax  in  the  midst  of  his  bowels,  and 
his  bones  all  out  of  joint.  But  what  he 
suffered  in  his  soul,  when  he  endured  the 
wrath  due  for  sin,  must  ever  surpass  all 
powers  of  description  and  conception.  Here 
is  the  highest  pitch  of  suffering,  every  varie¬ 
ty  of  agony,  excessive  sorrow,  unutterable 
load  of  dejection,  inexpressible  wonder, 
alarm,  and  anguish  at  the  curse  of  the  law, 
and  the  load  of  wrath  due  for  sin,  met  in  his 
soul.  The  period  of  his  mysterious  agony, 
his  awful  desertion  and  actual  death,  is 
called  his  hour  ; — the  hour  and  power  of 
darkness — the  hour  that  he  was  to  go  out  of 
this  world,  make  atonement  for  sin,  and  bring 
in  everlasting  righteousness.  During  this 
period  every  aid,  human  and  divine,  with¬ 
drew  itself;  he  trod  the  winepress  alone,  and 
of  the  people  there  was  none  with  him — none 
of  all  he  healed  came  to  his  relief  in  his  last 
extremity,  and  his  F ather  hid  his  face.  Here, 
the  tide  of  suffering  rose  to  its  height — here, 


60 


SIN, 

every  thing  painful,  ignominious,  distressing, 
terrific  and  overwhelming  met  in  him.  Here, 
also  is  a  scene,  whether  to  the  sufferer  or  to 
the  guilty  world,  is  the  most  awful  and  mo¬ 
mentous  that  ever  occurred — a  scene  which 
excites  mingled  emotions  of  joy  and  sorrow, 
the  sympathies  of  his  people,  the  envy  of 
devils,  and  the  admiration  of  saints  and 
angels — a  scene  at  which  all  nature  was 
moved.  But  it  was  his  desertion,  as  he  stood 
alone  in  the  darkened  universe,  that  brought 
from  him  that  piercing  cry  which  terrified  and 
shook  the  world,  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast 
thou  forsaken  me?  He  said,  it  is  finished, 
and  bowed  his  head,  and  gave  up  the  ghost. 
At  the  sound  of  that  cry,  falling  from  the 
cross  on  the  astonished  multitude,  the  veil  of 
the  temple  was  rent  in  twain,  from  top  to 
bottom.  The  sun  darkened  in  the  heavens, 
the  earth  groaned  as  if  about  to  expire,  “an 
earthquake  thundered  on;” — to  complete  the 
tragedy,  the  dead  rose  from  their  long  slum¬ 
bers,  and  came  forth  to  witness  the  awful 
scene.  Darkness  covered  all  the  land,  from 
the  sixth  to  the  ninth  hour,  and  the  Cen- 


ITS  EFFECTS. 


61 


turion,  and  they  that  werewith  him,  watching 
Jesus  feared  greatly,  saying,  truly  this  was 
the  Son  of  God.  Most  terrible  scene,  fit  to 
melt  the  heart  of  stone,  and  fill  the  universe 
with  alarm,  and  astonishing  to  tell,  no  inter¬ 
cessor  interposed  for  the  Saviour’s  relief,  and 
no  “thunderbolt  fell  from  heaven”  to  destroy 
his  murderers.  At  such  a  scene  well  might 
the  heart  melt  and  bleed  at  every  pore,  well 
might  nature  mourn,  and  angels  weep,  and 
silence  prevail  in  Heaven,  on  hearing  the 
dying  groans  of  Calvary. 

“  The  sun  beheld  it!  No,  the  shocking  scene 
Drove  back  his.  chariot,  midnight  veiled  his  face. 

Sun!  didst  thou  fly  thy  Maker’s  pain!  or  start 
At  that  enormous  load  of  human  guilt 
Which  bowed  his  blessed  head,  o’erwhelmed  his  cross, 
Made  groan  the  centre,  burst  earth’s  marble  womb, 
With  pangs,  strange  pangs!  delivered  of  her  dead! 

Hell  howled,  and  Heaven  that  hour  let  fall  a  tear: 

/  / 

Heaven  wept  that  man  might  smile,  Heaven  bled  that 
man 

Might  never  die.” — 

Communion  with  God  is  the  life  of  his 
soul  and  the  cry  of  desertion  intimated  that 
the  joy  and  happiness  of  his  soul  were  de- 


I 


62 


SIN, 

parting,  and  that  his  whole  nature  was  tossed 
amid  the  billows  of  unmitigated  woe.  The 
tokens  of  God’s  comforting  presence  were 
suspended,  “  the  Godhead  seemed  to  retire 
and  sleep  while  his  humanity  suffered.”  He 
felt  in  his  soul  that  he  was  separated  from 
the  fountain  of  all  blessedness,  and  the  pains 
of  hell  got  hold  on  him,  enduring  the  wrath 
due  for  sin,  of  which  this  desertion  was  a 
part.  This  dreadful  scene  displayed  at  once 
the  evil  of  sin,  the  justice  of  God,  the  love 
of  Christ,  the  value  of  the  soul,  and  the 
triumphs  of  the  Saviour,  eventually  ascend¬ 
ing  from  the  darkness  of  the  tomb  amid  the 
shouts  of  angels  to  the  glory  of  his  Father; 
and  to  give  value  and  dignity  to  the  whole 
scene,  these  extreme  sufferings  were  vicarious, 
and  voluntary,  and  efficacious  on  the  part  of 
Jesus,  who  put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of 
himself,  who,  having  power  to  lay  down  his 
life  and  to  take  it  again,  gave  himself  a  ran¬ 
som  for  many — a  ransom  for  all;  gave  him¬ 
self  for  us  an  offering  and  a  sacrifice  to  God 
for  a  sweet  smelling  savor.  Had  he  not  thus 
given  himself,  neither  the  rage  of  the  Jews, nor 


ITS  EFFECTS. 


63 


the  power  of  the  Romans,  nor  all  the  created 
powers  of  the  universe  could  have  torn  him 
from  his  throne, — nailed  him  to  the  cross  and 
accomplished  this  wondrous  tragedy.  But  the 
appalling  scene  is  past — the  work  of  redemp¬ 
tion  is  finished.  Rage  has  done  its  utmost. 
Sorrow  filled  the  disciples’  hearts — the  raging 
multitude  that  came  with  insults  and  mockery 
returned  home  smiting  their  breast — aston¬ 
ished  and  trembling  nature  recovered  from  her 
shock — the  darkened  heavens  brightening  a- 
gain,  laid  aside  their  habiliments  of  mourning 
and  cast  down  their  golden  rays, while  the  gen¬ 
tle  zephyrs  blew  softly  over  the  verdant  fields 
and  fragrant  flowers.  In  dying,  Jesus  con¬ 
quered,  triumphing  over  death  and  the  grave, 
over  principalities  and  powers  making  a  show 
of  them,  openly  triumphing  over  them  in  his 
cross.  He  hurled  Satan  from  his  throne  and 
cast  him  like  lightening  from  heaven  and  by 
the  consoling  words  addressed  to  the  peni¬ 
tent  thief,  “  To-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me 
in  Paradise,”  gave  his  people  a  sure  pledge 
of  glory  and  immortality  when  time  shall  be 
no  more.  The  ensigns  of  mock  royalty  put 


64  SIN,  ITS  EFFECTS. 

into  his  hands  were  converted  by  his  Father 
into  the  instruments  of  his  absolute  power  and 
universal  dominion.  The  cross  from  which 
his  blood  flowed  as  from  a  high  altar  to 
cleanse  from  all  sin,  and  which  his  foes 
thought  would  stigmatize  his  followers  with 
reproach,  became  their  standard  of  royalty 
around  which,  they  would  rally  with  joy,  and 
their  banner  that  would  "wave  in  triumph 
over  the  world.  At  the  foot  of  the  cross,  the 
Gentiles  waited  for  his  law,  and  the  rod  of 
his  power  went  forth  from  Jerusalem,  bring- 
ing  joy  and  gladness,  and  proclaiming  to  the 
ends  of  the  earth  that  men  shall  be  blessed 
in  him,  and  all  nations  shall  call  him  blessed. 
Such  were  the  events  and  triumph  of  that 
hour  in  which  Jesus,  with  a  soul  full  of 
trouble,  suffered,  the  just  for  the  unjust,  that 
he  might  bring  us  to  God.  He  saw  them  in 
their  incipient  state, — saw  of  the  travail  of 
his  soul  and  was  satisfied.  Now,  with  joy  he 
said,  it  is  finished.  As  a  conqueror  he  retired 
from  the  field  reviewing  his  conquests,  and  is 
henceforth  hailed  as  the  Glorious  King  of 
men  and  Angels,  Head  over  all  things  to  the 


PARDON  OF  SIN,  ITS  PROPERTIES.  65 

church,  which  is  his  body  the  fullness  of  him 
that  filleth  all  in  all. 


CHAPTER  III. 

PARDON  OF  SIN. 

If  sin  be  such  an  evil  as  has  been  imper¬ 
fectly  described,  the  question  naturally 
arises,  is  there  any  way  to  be  delivered  from 
it,  or  must  we  lie  down  in  our  shame,  and  our 
confusion  cover  us,  must  v;e  dwell  with  ev¬ 
erlasting  burnings?  To  this  all  important 
question,  scripture  alone  can  furnish  a  satis¬ 
factory  answer;  and  hence  our  subsequent  re¬ 
marks  must  be  abundantly  supported  by  the 
word  of  eternal  truth,  and  to  its  praise  let  it 
ever  be  said  that  God  has  not  left  us  without 
hope  concerning  this  thing,  but,  in  the  plen- 
titude  of  his  mercy,  proclaims,  in  his  word, 
pardon  to  the  chief  of  sinners.  How  sweet 
and  encouraging  is  the  language  of  Daniel 


66 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

in  behalf  of  sinners,  suffering  the  just  demerit 
of  their  sins,  “  To  the  Lord  our  God  belong 
mercies  and  forgiveness,  though  we  have  re¬ 
belled  against  him,”  (Dan.  ix,  9).  This 
language  conveys  at  once  the  strangely  con¬ 
nected  truth  “  To  err  is  human,  to  forgive 
divine  ” — God  is  the  only  author  of  forgive¬ 
ness.  Who  can  forgive  sins  but  God  only? 
(Mark  ii,  7).  Can  any  of  the  vanities  of 
the  Gentiles,  can  any  of  the  rulers  of  this 
world — can  the  “man  of  sin,”  who  exalts  ' 
himself  above  all  that  is  called  God  and  is 
worshiped  and  professes  to  exercise  this 
power,  or  can  all  the  combined  powers  of 
the  universe  forgive  sin?  No,  this  is  God’s 
prerogative,  belonging  exclusively  to  him. 
There  may  be  a  judicial  declaration  of  par¬ 
don,  by  those  to  whom  the  keys  of  the  king¬ 
dom  are  committed,  for  the  spiritual  govern¬ 
ment  of  the  church.  To  them  it  is  said,, 
whosoever  sins  ye  remit  they  are  remitted 
unto  them,  (John  xx,  23)  but  it  is  God  only,, 
who  can  remove  the  guilt  and  pollution  of 
sin.  As  this  is  above  human  power,  they 
do  not  pretend  to  do  it.  Under  the  law,,  the 


ITS  PROPERTIES. 


67 


priest  only  pronounced  the  leper  clean  or 
unclean  as  the  case  might  be,  but  never,  in 
any  case,  healed  the  leprosy  which  defied  all 
created  power.  It  is  so  with  the  leprosy  of  sin, 
God  alone  can  remove  it.  Remission  of  sin  is 
an  act  of  Almighty  power,  every  way  becom¬ 
ing  and  worthy  of  God.  God  graciously  for¬ 
gives  our  sins,  and  none  forgives  like  him. 
With  admiration  and  praise  we  may  exclaim, 
Who  is  a  God  like  unto  thee,  that  pardoneth 
iniquity  and  passeth  by  the  trangression  of 
the  remnant  of  his  heritage?  He  retaineth 
not  his  anger  forever  because  he  delighteth 
in  mercy.  He  will  turn  again,  he  will  have 
compassion  upon  us,  he  will  subdue  our  in¬ 
iquities,  and  thou  wilt  cast  all  their  sins  into 
the  depths  of  the  sea,  (Mic.  vii,  18,  19). 
He  requires  us  to  forgive  that  we  may  be 
forgiven, — forgive  till  seventy  times  seven, 
and  certainly  he  will  npt  do  less  than  he  re¬ 
quires  of  us.  Nay,  he  multiplies  to  pardon 
above  all  our  conceptions.  He  will 
abundantly  pardon,  (Isa.  lv,  7,  9).  Plen¬ 
teous  redemption  is  ever  found  with  him. 
(Psalm  cxxx.  He  pardons  according  to 


68 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

the  greatness  of  his  power  and  the 
greatness  of  his  mercy  from  Egypt  land 
till  now,  (Numb,  xiv,  17,  20)  0,  who  can 
comprehend  the  greatness  of  this  power,  this 
mercy,  and  its  continuance  !  Because  he  is 
God  and  not  man,  he  will  not  execute  the 
fierceness  of  his  anger  nor  stir  up  all  his 
wrath.  If  it  were  kindled  but  a  little,  blessed 
are  all  they  that  put  their  trust  in  him. 

Pardon  is  the  sovereign  act  of  God  who 
exercises  it  on  the  objects  of  his  pleasure  as 
he  said  to  Moses,  desiring  to  see  his  glory, 
J  will  be  gracious  to  whom  I  will  be  gracious, 
I  will  have  mercy  on  whom  1  will  have 
mercy,  (Ex.  xxxiii,  19;  Rom.  ix,  15).  This 
truth  before  which  the  world  trembles,  is  ex¬ 
emplified  in  the  salvation  of  men  and  not  of 
angels,  in  the  salvation  of  some  and  not  of 
others,  even  apparently  near  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  in  taking  one  of  a  family  and  two  of 
a  city,  and  bringing  them  to  Zion,  ( Jer.  iii, 
4).  For  this  exercise  of  mercy,  no  reason 
can  be  given  but  that  which  Jesus  himself 
gave,  “Even  so  Father,  for  so  it  seems  good 
in  thy  sight.”  There  is  a  reason  that  seems 


ITS  PROPERTIES. 


69 


right  to  the  divine  mind,  and  this  is  sufficient 
to  justify  his  conduct,  and  this  should  sat¬ 
isfy  us  till  it  be  revealed, when  it  will  appear 
to  the  whole  world  that  the  Judge  of  all  the 
earth  has  done  right. 

Though  pardon  does  not  necessarily  flow 
from  God,  as  the  stream  from  the  fountain, 
or  as  light  emanates  from  the  sun,  yet  it  is 
free  in  its  bestowment ,  suspended  on  no  con¬ 
dition  of  ours  as  a  meritorious  ground  of  its 
reception.  Even  faith  is  only  the  instru¬ 
ment  of  receiving  forgiveness,  and  is  neither 
the  condition  nor  the  procuring  cause  of  it; 
for  faith  is  the  gift  of  God,  a  supernatural 
grace,  and  hence  can  not  be  a  condition  of 
pardon.  Nor  is  remission  of  sins  granted  for 
ancestry,  for  wealth,  for  works,  for  talents, for 
learning,  for  external  relation  to  the  church, 
or  any  such  thing.  It  is  bestowed  according 
to  the  good  pleasure  of  his  will.  We  have 
redemption  through  his  blood,  the  forgive¬ 
ness  of  sins,  according  to  the  riches  of  his 
grace,  (Eph.  i,  5-7).  Hence  it  is  of  grace, 
and  not  of  works.  Jesus  Christ  is  exalted 
a  Prince  and  a  Saviour,  to  give  repent- 
7 


'70  3PARD0N  OF  SIN, 

ance  to  Israel  and  forgiveness  of  sins.  This 
truth  is  taught  throughout  the  scriptures, 
which  declare,  ye  have  sold  yourselves  for 
nought,  ye  shall  be  redeemed  without  money, 
—come,  buy  wine  and  milk  without  money 
and  without  price, — come  eat  of  my  bread 
and  drink  of  the  wine  which  I  have  mingled, 
— come  take  the  water  of  life  freely.  I  am 
the  living  bread  which  came  down  from 
Heaven,  if  any  man  eat  of  this  bread  he  shall 
live  forever,  and  the  bread  which  I  will  give 
him  is  my  flesh,  which  I  will  give  for  the 
life  of  the  world.  Knowing  that  we  are 
naturally  wretched,  and  miserable,  and  poor, 
and  blind,  and  naked, — that  in  our  flesh  dwells 
no  good  thing, — that  we  have  nothing  to  bring 
as  an  equivalent,  Christ  has  made  provision 
according  to  our  wants,  and  the  riches  of  his 
grace.  The  method  of  pardon  is  strange  to 
the  unrenewed  and  anxious  sinner,  whose 
language  is,  wherewith  shall  I  come  before 
the  Lord  and  bow  myself  before  the  high 
God?  Shall  I  come  before  him  with  burnt 
offerings,  with  calves  of  a  year  old;  will  the 
Lord  be  pleased  with  thousands  of  rams  or 


ITS  PROPERTIES. 


71 


with  ten  thousands  of  rivers  of  oil;  shall  I 
give  my  first  born  for  my  trangression,  the 
fruit  of  my  body  for  the  sin  of  my  soul?  or 
what  good  thing  shall  I  do  that  I  may  have 
eternal  life;  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved;  what 
must  I  give  to  procure  salvation?  Like 
Simon,  he  comes  with  a  price  in  his  hand, 
a  price  of  wealth,  of  works  of  merit;  and  if 
he  can  find  none  of  these  in  himself  of  suffi¬ 
cient  value  to  commend  him  to  the  divine 
mercy,  or  if  he  can  make  no  amends  for  the 
past,  he  is  often  brought  to  the  borders  of 
despair,  from  which  he  is  relieved  only  by 
seeing  that  pardon  is  free  as  the  air,  sus¬ 
pended  on  no  human  merit.  God  forgives 
freely,  I,  even  I,  am  he  that  blotteth  out  thy 
transgressions  for  mine  own  sake,  and  will 
not  remember  thy  sins.  Praise  the  Lord,  Q 
my  soul  for  this  plan  of  salvation,  by  which 
lost,  helpless  sinners  can  obtain  pardon  and 
eternal  life. 

But  though  free  to  us,  pardon  is  procured  by 
an  infinite  price, — a  price  more  precious  than 
rubies, — than  the  gold  of  Ophir, — than  the 
wrorld  and  its  fullness.  What  is  said  of  wisdom 


72 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

is  true  of  this, — Man  knoweth  not  the  price 
thereof,  neither  is  it  found  in  the  land  of  the 
living.  The  depth  saith  it  is  not  in  me  and 
the  sea  saith  it  is  not  with  me.  It  can  not 
be  gotten  for  gold  neither  shall  silver  be 
weighed  for  the  price  thereof.  It  can  not 
be  valued  with  the  gold  of  Ophir, — with  the 
precious  onyx  or  the  sapphire.  The  gold 
and  the  crystal  can  not  equal  it,  and  the  ex¬ 
change  of  it  shall  not  be  for  jewels  of  fine 
gold.  No  mention  shall  be  made  of  coral 
or  of  pearls,  for  the  price  of  it  is  above  ru¬ 
bies.  The  topaz  of  Ethiopia  shall  not  equal 
it,  neither  shall  it  be  valued  with  pure  gold 
(Job  xxviii,  13,  19).  Whence  then  cometh 
its  price?  Not  from  the  blood  of  legal  sac¬ 
rifices  which  could  never  take  away  sin,  nor 
from  human  blood  and  human  merit,  but 
from  blood  divine.  Blood  is  the  price  of 
pardon.  Without  shedding  of  blood  is  no 
remission.  When  there  was  none  to  pity  and 
no  arm  that  could  save,  God’s  eye  pitied  and 
his  arm  brought  salvation.  He  found  out  a 
ransom.  He  spared  not  his  own  son  but  de¬ 
livered  him  up  for  us  all  Herein  God  com- 


ITS  PROPERTIES. 


73 


mendeth  his  love  towards  us,  in  that,  while 
we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us.  He 
purchased  the  church  with  his  own  blood. 
Ye  are  redeemed  not  with  corruptible 
things,  as  silver  and  gold,  but  with  the  pre¬ 
cious  blood  of  Christ,  as  a  lamb  without 
blemish;  and  by  the  same  precious  blood,  he 
has  entered  heaven,  and  taken  possession  in 
our  name.  Neither  by  the  blood  of  goats 
and  calves,  but  by  his  own  blood,  he  entered 
once  into  the  holy  place,  having  obtained 
eternal  redemption  for  us.  He  made  his  soul 
an  offering  for  sin,  and  by  that  one  offering, 
he  has  perfected  forever  them  that  are 
sanctified;  and  the  triumphant  song  of  the  re¬ 
deemed  in  glory  is — unto  him  that  loved  us  and 
washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood,  to 
him  be  glory,  and  honor,  and  dominion,  for¬ 
ever  and  ever;  and  they  sing  a  new  song 
saying  thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book,  and 
open  the  seals  thereof;  for  thou  wast  slain 
and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  own 
blood,  out  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and 
people,  and  nation.  O,  astonishing  wondrous 
price.  The  price  of  the  Saviour’s  blood! 

7  * 


74 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

Jesus  died  for  our  sins, — and  rose  again  for 
our  justification. 

“  The  ransom  was  paid  down,  the  fund  of  heav’n 
Heaven’s  inexhaustible,  exhausted  fund 
•  Amazing  and  amazed  pour’d  forth  the  price 
All  price  beyond-,  Tho’  curious  to  compute 
Archangels  failed  to  cast  the  mighty  sum 
Its  value  vast  ungrasped  by  minds  create 
Forever  hides  and  glows  in  the  Supreme  ” — 

O  my  soul ct  survey  the  wondrous  cure! 

And  at  each  step  let  higher  wonder  rise! 

Pardon  for  infinite  offence!  and  pardon 
Thro’  means  that  speaks  its  value  infinite! 

A  pardon  bought  with  blood!  with  blood  divine! 
With  blood  divine  of  him  I  made  my  foe! 

Persisted  to  provoke!  Tho’  woo’d  and  aw’d 
Bless’d’and  chastis’d  a  flagrant  rebel  still: 

A  rebel  ’midst  the  thunders  of  his  throne! 

Nor  I  alone!  a  rebel  universe ! 

My  species  up  in  arms!  not  one  exempt! 

Yet  for  the  foulest  of  the  foul  he  dies; 

Most  joyed  for  the  redeemed  from  deepest  guilt! 

As  if  our  race  were  held  of  highest  rank 
And  Godhead  dearer  as  more  kind  to  man!” 

This  dear  bought  pardon  is  full ,  extending , 
with  one  exception,  to  all  sin  of  every  degree 
and  of  any  number.  All  manner  of  sin  and 
blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven  unto  men,  but 


ITS  PROPERTIES. 


75 


the  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost  shall 
not  be  forgiven  unto  men,  (Matt,  xii,  31). 
This  is  often  called  the  unpardonable  sin; 
and  what  that  peculiar  sin  is,  has  often  been 
a  subject  of  anxious  inquiry.  It  may  consist 
in  a  willful,  malicious,  avowed  and  constant 
rejection  of  Jesus  Christ,  against  the  con¬ 
victions  of  conscience,  the  evidence  of  truth, 
and  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  as  the 
Scribes  and  Pharisees,  to  whom  this  text  was 
first  applied  rejected  him,  or  since  the  Saviour 
has  committed  the  affairs  of  his  kingdom  unto 
the  Holy  Spirit,  (John  xvi,7  -  15),  that  he 
may  be  exalted  and  honored  even  as  the 
Father  and  the  Son,  and  receiving  from  them 
may  act  in  their  name,  it  consists  in  thus 
denying,  despising,  rejecting  and  reproach¬ 
ing  the  divinity,  personality  and  operations 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  church,  and  in  the 
world;  and  it  is  clear  as  a  sunbeam  that  when 
men  thus  reject  the  only  sacrifice  for  sin,  and 
the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise,  by  whom  sinners 
are  renewed  after  the  divine  image,  and 
sealed  until  the  redemption  of  the  purchased 
possession,  unto  the  praise  of  his  glory,  they 


76 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

can  not  be  forgiven.  They  sin  knowingly, 
willfully,  maliciously,  avowedly,  obstinately, 
and  constantly  persist  in  their  sin.  How,  in 
such  a  case  can  they  look  for  pardon  any  more 
than  those  who  have  gone  into  everlasting 
punishment,  where  no  ray  of  hope  ever 
enters,  where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the 
fire  is  not  quenched.  With  this  exception, 
pardon  extends  to  all  sins  however  numer - 
ovs ,  great ,  aggravated ,  long  standing ,  or 
often  repeated.  Under  the  law  no  sacrifice 
was  provided  for  some  sins,  as  idolatry,  adul¬ 
tery,  cursing  God  or  parents,  breaking  the 
Sabbath,  and  for  presumptuous  sin.  These 
were  punished  with  immediate  death.  But 
now,  all  that  believe  are  justified  from  all 
things,  from  which  they  could  not  be  justified 
by  the  law  of  Moses.  The  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  cleanses  us  from  all  sin — if  we  confess 
our  sins,  he  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us 
our  sins,  and  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteous¬ 
ness,  (Acts  xiii,  39;  1  John  i,  7  -9).  All 
manner  of  sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be  for¬ 
given  unto  tnen.  When  God  returns  the 
captivity  of  Judah  and  Israel,  he  says,  I  will 


ITS  PROPERTIES 


77 


cleanse  them  from  all  their  iniquity  whereby 
they  have  sinned  against  me,  and  I  will  par 
don  all  their  iniquities.  Then  will  I  sprinkle 
clean  water  upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be  clean; 
from  all  your  filthiness  and  from  all  your 
idols  will  I  cleanse  you.  I  will  also  save  you 
from  all  your  uncleanesses.  Bless  the  Lord 
O  my  soul,  and  forget  not  all  his  benefits, 
who  forgiveth  all  thine  iniquities,  who 
healetb  all  thy  diseases,  (Jer.  xxxiii,8;  Ezk. 
xxxvi,  25,  29;  Psa.  ciii,  2,  3).  There  is 
no  exception,  all  thine  iniquities,  all  sin,  all 
manner  of  sin  is  forgiven.  In  the  language 
of  Dr.  Owen,  “  Without  mention  of  par¬ 
ticulars,  I  may  safely  say,  that  there  is  no 
sin,  no  degree  of  sin,  no  aggravating  circum¬ 
stance  of  sin,  no  kind  of  continuance  in  sin, 
(one  sin  only  excepted)  but  that  there  are 
those  in  heaven,  who  have  been  guilty  of 
them.”  The  nature  of  the  covenant  of 
grace,  well  ordered  in  all  things  and  sure, 
the  gracious  character  of  God  who  is  rich 
in  mercy  and  ready  to  forgive,  and  who  has 
forgiven  the  chief  of  sinners,  and  the  all  suf¬ 
ficiency  of  the  atonement  which  Jesus  has 


78 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


made  for  our  sins,  lead  to  the  same  comfort¬ 
able  conclusion.  Our  blessed  Saviour  is  able 
and  willing  to  save  to  the  uttermost.  He 
came  to  do  the  will  of  Him  who  sent  him, 
and  his  revealed  will  is,  that  all  men  might 
be  saved  and  come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth ;  and  says  Christ,  him  that  cometh  to  me 
I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out,  no  in  no  wise,  on 
no  account.  To  the  poor  trembling  sinner, 
desiring  to  be  washed  from  his  sins,  his  en¬ 
dearing,  consoling  language  is,  “  I  will;  be 
thou  clean.”  It  has  pleased  the  Father  that 
in  Christ  Jesus  should  all  fullness  dwell;  all 
wisdom  for  our  instruction,  all  power  to  pro¬ 
tect  us,  all  merit  to  save  and  all  grace  to 
glorify  us.  All  power  is  given  to  him  in 
Heaven  and  in  earth,  for  bringing  many  sons 
to  glory.  Then,  it  would  be  an  impeach¬ 
ment  of  the  divine  veracity  and  a  reflection  on 
the  Saviour’s  merits  to  suppose,  for  a  moment, 
that  his  blood  does  not  cleanse  from  a// sin. 
It  is  a  fountain  open  for  sin  and  for  unclean¬ 
ness.  It  descends  into  the  deepest  valleys 
and  prevails  over  the  highest  mountains  of 
sin,  many  cubits  upwards,  and  it  will  never 


ITS  PROPERTIES. 


T9 


fail  to  accomplish  the  great  and  glorious  end 
for  which  it  was  opened,  in  the  eternal  coun¬ 
sel  of  God,  in  the  promises,  types,  and 
prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  in  their 
fulfillment.  God  grants  pardon,  Jesus 
procures  it,  the  gospel  reveals  it,  and  the 
Holy  Spirit  applies  and  seals  it  to  all 
them  that  believe;  and  when  we  remember 
that  God  is  Omnipotent,  that  man’s  sal¬ 
vation  from  first  to  last  is  all  to  the  praise 
of  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  his  grace, 
we  can  not,  for  a  moment,  hesitate  in  saying 
that  the  pardon  which  he  grants  is  full,  ex¬ 
tending  to  all  sin. 

It  is  also  irrevocable ,  unchangeable ,  ever - 
lasting .  The  sentence  of  acquittal,  that  has 
gone  forth  from  the  Lord,  will  never  be  re¬ 
versed  nor  recalled.  Hath  he  said  it,  and 
will  he  not  do  it?  Hath  he  spoken  it,  and  will 
he  not  make  it  good?  He  is  not  man  that  he 
should  lie,  nor  the  son  of  man,  that  he  should 
repent;  and  sooner  will  heaven  and  earth  pass 
away,  than  one  word  of  all  he  has  spoken, 
fail  to  come  to  pass.  The  gifts  and  callings 
of  God,  are  without  repentance.  Christ  has 


80 


PARDON  OF  SIN. 


made  atonement  for  our  sins.  Divine  justice 
is  satisfied,  and  will  never  require  a  second 
payment.  There  is  therefore  now  no  con¬ 
demnation  to  them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus. 
God  does  not  forgive  them  to-day,  and  con¬ 
demn  them  to-morrow.  He  does  not  write 
their  name  in  the  book  of  life,  and  again  blot 
it  out,  (Rev.  iii,  5).  If  his  children  go 
astray  he  will  visit  their  faults  with  the  rod, 
and  their  iniquities  with  stripes;  but  he  will 
not  take  his  love  from  them,  nor  make  false 
his  promise.  The  mountains  shall  depart, 
and  the  hills  be  removed,  but  my  kindness 
shall  not  depart,  neither  shall  the  covenant 
of  my  peace  be  removed,  saith  the  Lord  that 
hath  mercy  on  thee,  (Psa.  Ixxxix,  33;  Isa. 
liv,  10).  The  language  by  which  pardon  is 
expressed,  proves  that  it  is  everlasting.  Come 
now,  and  let  us  reason  together,  saith  the 
Lord ;  though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet, they  shall 
be  as  white  as  snow ;  though  they  be  red  like 
crimson  they  shall  be  as  wool.  I,  even  I,  am 
he  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions  for 
mine  own  sake,  and  will  not  remember  thy 
sins;  (Isa.  i,  18;  xliii>25).  I  will  forgive  their 


ITS  PROPERTIES. 


81 


iniquity  and  I  will  remember  their  sins  no 
more.  In  those  days  and  in  that  time  saith 
the  Lord  the  iniquity  of  Israel  shall  be  sought 
for  and  there  shall  be  none,  and  the  sins  of 
Judah,  and  they  shall  not  be  found  for  I  will 
pardon  them  whom  I  reserve  (Jer.  xxxi,  34; 
1,  20).  I  will  sprinkle  clean  water  upon  you 
and  ye  shall  be  clean  from  all  your  filthiness; 
and  from  all  your  idols  I  will  cleanse  you, 
Thou  wilt  cast  all  their  sins  into  the  depths 
of  the  sea.  What  language  can  be  more 
expressive,  absolute  and  unequivocal  than 
this.  If  sin  is  represented  by  uncleanness  it 
is  washed  away,  if  as  a  debt  it  is  blotted 
out,  if  as  a  charge  it  can  not  be  found,  it  is 
sunk  into  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  out  of  sight, 
out  of  memory,  in  oblivion.  This  pardon 
the  gospel  reveals.  As  it  is  full  it  includes 
all  sins, as  it  is  free  it  encourages  all  sinners, 
the  poor,  the  blind,  the  halt,  the  lame,  the 
wretched,  the  chief.  As  it  is  everlasting  it 
gives  the  greatest  peace  to  the  soul  assured 
that  it  will  never  be  reversed  nor  recalled, 
and  whatever  abuse  the  impenitent  sinner 
may  make  of  it  is  holy  in  all  its  nature,  ten- 
8 


82  PARDON  OF  SIN,  ITS  PROPERTIES. 

dency  and  effects  because  it  comes  from  an 
infinitely  Holy  God.  It  has  then  every  re¬ 
quisite  suitable  to  the  wants  of  sinful  men, 
the  most  sinful.  O,  let  us  adore  God  for 
such  pardon  for  us  wretched  sinners  even  the 
chief.  What  can  more  clearly  display  his 
beneficence  and  good  will  to  man  than  re¬ 
demption  through  the  blood  of  his  own  dear 
Son,  and  what  can  display  our  gratitude 
more  than  a  hearty  and  honest  endeavor  to 
proclaim  on  highest  and  sweetest  notes  the 
praises  of  redeeming  love,  “  If  holy  Angels 
on  their  lofty  thrones  in  glory  desire  ”  to 
look  into  the  mystery  of  redemption  by  God 
incarnate  “  well  may  we  who  are  the  ob¬ 
jects  of  such  unprecedented  love  raise  our 
grateful  hearts  to  the  God  of  Heaven  and 
shout  forth  in  language  like  this,  glory  to 
God  in  the  highest  for  such  peace  and  good 
will  toward  men.” 


PARDON  OF  SIN,  ITS  NECESSITY. 


83 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  NECESSITY  OF  PARDON 

u  Those  holy  gates  forever  bar 
Pollution,  sin  and  shame 
And  none  shall  gain  admittance  there 
But  followers  of  the  Lamb.” 

Since  all  have  sinned  and  come  short  of 
the  glory  of  God  all  need  pardon  in  order  to 
obtain  happiness.  All  of  every  age  or  con¬ 
dition,  the  vile  sinner,  the  strict  moralist,  the 
fallen  believer,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  bond 
and  free,  male  and  female,  the  careless  at 
tease  in  Zion,  the  gay  and  fashionable,  polite 
to  man,  to  God  most  rude,  all  need  it. 
Money  will  not  procure  pardon  nor  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  nor  a  passport  to  Heaven, 
ft  will  scarcely  he  denied  that  the  unrenewed 
in  heart,  stained  with  the  blackest  crimes, 
need  forgiveness,  covered  with  crime  they 
can  not  stand  in  judgment.  If  the  righteous 
scarcely  be  saved  where  shall  the  ungodly  and 
the  sinner  appear.  But  there  are  others  in  a 


84 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

state  of  nature  as  infants,  and  moralists,  and 
nominal  professors,  about  whom  there  may 
he  some  doubt  and  dispute.  That  they  also 
need  pardon  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  all 
are  by  nature  children  of  wrath  and  heirs  of 
Hell,  shapen  in  iniquity,  conceived  in  sin, 
death  has  passed  upon  all  men,  for  that  all 
have  sinned.  Death  is  the  wages  of  sin  and 
we  know  not  how  this  penalty  can  be  inflicted 
by  a  righteous  God  on  infants  if  they  are 
innocent  and  in  no  way  affected  by'  sin. 
Shall  not  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right? 
But  it  would  not  be  right  for  him  to  punish 
an  innocent  being.  Far  be  it  from  him  to 
do  so,  and  far  be  it  from  us  to  charge  him 
with  such  injustice.  Then  there  seems  to  be 
no  alternative  left  but  to  admit  that  they  are 
sinners  standing  in  need  of  forgiveness,  and 
that  those  of  them  that  are  saved  are  saved 
through  the  pardoning  mercy  of  God.  That 
the  moralist  needs  it,  appears  from  the  fact 
that  morality  is  not  religion.  There  are 
many  that  neither  know  or  believe  the  gos¬ 
pel  who  come  under  this  class  and  to  the 
shame  of  Christians,  their  lives  are  often 


ITS  NECESSITY. 


85 


more  exemplary.  Though  they  omit  what 
the  laws  requires,  they  abstain  from  what  it 
forbids,  are  strictly  honest,  kind,  obliging, 
amiable  and  every  thing  that  is  commend¬ 
able  among  men.  But  like  the  young  man 
in  the  gospel  w~ho  had  kept  the  command¬ 
ments  externally  from  his  youth  up  and  was 
not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  they 
lack  one  thing,  true  love  to  God.  They  still 
carry  about  with  them  the  old  corrupt  nature, 
a  body  of  death,  a  heart  deceitful  above  ail 
things  and  desperately  wicked.  Go  a  step 
further  and  view  those  who  make  a  mere 
nominal  profession  of  religion,  perhaps  the 
most  scriptural  profession  in  the  world. 
Clad  with  this  holy  garb  bound  on  with  the 
girdle  of  self-righteousness  and  pride  of 
heart,  they  in  supercilious  disdain  say  to 
others  stand  by  for  I  am  holier  than  thou, 
we  alone  are  left  to  serve  God  in  purity  of 
word  and  doctrine,  all  others  are  bowing 
the  knee  to  the  image  of  Baak  The  temple 
of  the  Lord,  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  the 
temple  of  the  Lord  are  these.  They  are  the 
people  and  wisdom  will  die  with  them  and 
8* 


86 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

religion  too!  After  all  they  are  only  outer 
court  worshipers,  having  only  a  form  of 
godliness  but  denying  the  power  thereof. 
They  have  a  name  to  live  whilst  dead 
•  in  God’s  account.  They  are  like  the 
Scribes  and  Pharisees  who  went  the  round 
of  external  duty  and  were  held  in  great 
esteem  as  the  best  expositors  of  the 
law  and  the  brighest  paterns  of  morality;  but 
■were  inwardly  ravenous  wolves — whited 
sepulchres.  Here  is  the  fatal  rock  on  which 
thousands  make  shipwreck  of  their  faith. 
Building  their  hopes  of  glory  on  the  sandy 
foundation  of  external  forms  of  religion  and 
lives  exempt  from  open  crime  and  having  a 
form  of  godliness  but  denying  the  power. 
They  think  all  is  well,  that  they  are  whole 
needing  no  physician,  that  they  are  just  need¬ 
ing  no  repentance,  no  pardon.  But  who 
will  say  they  do  not  need  them  all.  Except 
ye  repent  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish. 

But  the  fallen  and  even  the  standing  be¬ 
liever  needs  the  renewed  manifestation  of 
pardon.  This  is  true,  especially  of  those  who 
have  fallen  by  their  iniquity.  Though  the 


ITS  NECESSITY. 


87 


power  of  sin  is  broken  in  the  believer  its  ex¬ 
istence  still  remains  to  the  end  of  life,  and 
is  like  the  Canaanites  with  iron  chariots,  that 
remained  in  the  land  after  the  general  con¬ 
quest,  as  scourges  in  the  sides  and  thorns  in 
the  eyes  of  Israel,  and  could  not  be  entirely 
subdued  but  would  dwell  in  that  land,  yet 
they  were  under  tribute  (Judges  i,  19,  27). 
The  remains  of  depravity,  in  the  best  of  men 
is  called,  in  scripture  style,  the  old  man  with 
his  deeds  which  are  corrupt,  the  flesh  lusting 
against  the  spirit,  the  law  in  the  members 
warring  against  the  law  of  the  mind,  the 
body  of  death  under  which  they  groan. 
That  this  does  overcome  and  annoy  them  ap¬ 
pears  from  Abraham’s  prevarication,  Noah’s 
drunkenness,  Lot’s  incest,  Joseph’s  profanity, 
the  Israelite’s  idolatry,  David’s  adultery  and 
murder,  Solomon’s  polygamy  and  sin  by  out¬ 
landish  wrnmen,  Peter’s  denial  of  his  Lord 
and  Master,  and  Paul’s  complaints  of  a  law 
in  his  members  warring  against  the  law  of 
his  mind,  and  bringing  him  into  captivity  to 
the  law  of  sin,  wThich  was  in  his  members. 
These  falls  of  believers  to  the  discredit  of  re- 


88 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

ligion,  the  wounding  of  their  conscience  and 
the  rejoicing  of  the  enemy,  were  not  only 
after  conversion, but  also  after  signal  mercies, 
after  Abraham’s  call,  Noah’s  preservation, 
Lot’s  escape,  Joseph’s  promotion,  the  Israel¬ 
ites’  deliverance,  and  at  the  foot  of  Sinai,  Da¬ 
vid’s  exaltation,  Solomon’s  wisdom,  Peter’s 
communion  and  warning,  and  Paul’s  com¬ 
plaints  were  after  his  conversion.  Alas  what 
is  man,  what  are  the  best  of  men,  when  left 
to  themselves,  but  feeble  erring  creatures. 
There  is  no  man  that  liveth  here  and  sinneth 
not,  if  we  say  we  have  no  sin  we  deceive 
ourselves  and  the  truth  is  not  in  us.  In  me 
says  Paul,  that  is  in  my  flesh  dwelleth  no  good 
thing;  and  says  David,  if  thou  Lord  shouldst 
mark  iniquities,  O  Lord,  who  shall  stand. 
These  falls  arise  from  corrupt  nature,  pre¬ 
vailing  sin,  the  power  of  temptation,  cus¬ 
tom,  society,  evil  communications,  self-confi¬ 
dence,  the  want  of  vigilance  and  prayer  for 

restraining  grace,  the  suspension  of  the 
Spirit’s  operations  and  the  dormant  state  of 

grace  in  the  soul.  They  are  permitted  in  di¬ 
vine  sovereignty  to  show  man  his  dependence 


ITS  NECESSITY. 


89 


and  frailty,  and  to  warn  those  who  think  they 
stand  to  take  heed  lest  they  fall.  But  though 
fallen  they  are  not  lost,  though  cast  down 
they  are  not  destroyed.  They  do  not  fall 
totally  and  finally  from  a  state  of  grace,  a 
just  man  falleth  seven  times  and  riseth  up 
again,  though  he  fall  he  shall  not  be  cast 
down  utterly,  (Prov.  xxiv,  16;  Ps.  xxxvii, 
24),  for  the  Lord  upholdeth  him  with  his 
hand.  They  shall  never  perish,  none  is  able 
to  pluck  them  out  of  my  Father’s  hands, 
they  are  kept  by  the  power  of  God  through 
faith  unto  salvation,  the  prodigal  will  arise 
and  go  to  his  father,  deeply  deploring  his 
sin,  the  lost  sheep  will  be  found  and  brought 
back  with  rejoicing,  being  confident  of  this 
very  thing,  that  he  which  hath  begun  a  good 
work  in  you,  will  perform  it  until  the  day  of 
Jesus  Christ.  They  are  born  again  of  the 
incorruptible  seed  of  the  word,  which  liveth 
and  abideth  forever,  the  spirit  of  truth  whom 
the  world  can  not  receive,  dwells  in  them, 
and  shall  be  in  them,  and  abide  with  them 
forever,  and  never  be  utterly  taken  away 
(Johnxiv,  16,  17;  Ps.  li,l  1).  This  prayer  of 


90 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


David  in  his  fallen  state  implies  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  was  not  taken  away,  too  much 
has  been  done  for  them  to  be  done  in  vain. 
They  are  bought  at  too  dear  a  rate,  Christ 
has  purchased  them  with  his  own  blood  and 
prayed  for  them  that  their  faith  fail  not,  and 
that  where  he  is  there  may  they  be  also  to 
behold  his  glory.  He  has  prepared  mansions 
of  bliss  for  them,  entered  as  their  forerunner, 
and  taken  possession  in  their  name, and  prom¬ 
ised  to  come  again  and  receive  them  to  him¬ 
self.  They  are  brought  into  covenant  with 
God,  and  that  covenant  secures  their  return, 
their  pardon,  their  final  perseverance  and 
eternal  happiness.  The  purpose  or  counsel 
of  God,  the  nature  of  the  covenant  of  grace, 
the  fact  that  Jesus  has  paid  the  price  of  their 
redemption,  and  that  he  intercedes  for  them, 
and  that  the  Holy  Spirit  possesses  their  souls, 
all  proves  the  final  perseverance  of  the  saints. 
God’s  counsel  shall  stand  and  he  will  do  all 
his  pleasure  (Isa.  xlvi,  10).  This  covenant 
of  peace  shall  not  be  removed.  He  is  well 
pleased  for  the  righteousness’  sake  of  his  own 
son  who  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for 


ITS  NECESSITY. 


91 


us  and  whom  he  hears  always  (John  xiv, 
16,  19;  17).  The  Holy  Spirit  seals  their 
title  to  life  and  is  the  earnest  of  their 
inheritance  (Eph.  i,  13,  14).  An  earnest 
is  a  part  given  for  the  security  of  the 
whole.  Well  then  may  we  enquire  who 
shall  separate  us  from  the  love  of  Christ? 
Shall  tribulation,  or  distress,  or  persecution, 
or  famine,  or  nakedness,  or  peril,  or  sword? 
Nay,  in  all  this,  we  are  more  than  conquerors 
through  him  that  loved  us.  Whom  he  did 
predestinate  them  he  also  called,  and  whom 
he  called  them  he  also  justified,  and  whom  he 
justified  them  he  also  glorified  (Rom.  8). 

But  to  the  doctrine  of  the  final  perse¬ 
verance  of  the  saints,  it  is  objected  that  it 
encourages  licentiousness.  It  is  said  that  if 
the  believer  can  not  fall  totally  and  finally, 
he  may  indulge  in  sin,  for  he  is  sure  to  be 
brought  back  and  pardoned,  and  saved  at 
last:  yea,  the  more  he  sins  the  more  will 
grace  shine  in  his  salvation  according  to  the 
principle  that  where  sin  abounded  grace  did 
much  more  abound.  In  reply  we  say  that 
the  man  who  would  thus  sin  and  turn  the 


92 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


grace  of  God  into  lasciviousness,  has  great 
reason  to  fear  that  he  has  never  experienced 
that  grace  in  his  heart;  for  the  grace  of  God 
which  bringeth  salvation  teaches  us  that 
denying  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts  we 
should  live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly 
in  this  present  world.  Faith  works  by  love, 
and  purifies  the  heart,  and  overcomes  the 
world.  The  sorrow  of  the  world  works 
death,  but  godly  sorrow  works  repentance  to 
salvation,  works  carefulness,  clearing  of  our¬ 
selves,  indignation,  fear,  vehement  desire, 
zeal,  revenge  on  sin  (2  Cor.  vii,  10,  11). 
Hence  love  to  God,  purity  of  heart  and  life 
and  revenge  on  sin  are  the  fruits  of  grace 
and  its  doctrines.  Paul  anticipates  and  in¬ 
dignantly  repels  this  objection.  What? 
shall  we  continue  in  sin  that  grace  may 
abound?  God  forbid  how  shall  we  that  are 
dead  to  sin  live  any  longer  therein  (Rom.  vi, 
1,  2).  How  shall  we  continue  in  sin,  how 
shall  we  do  this  great  wickedness,  and  sin 
against  God,  how  shall  we  who  have  just 
escaped  from  chains  and  slavery  voluntarily 
return  to  them  again?  How  shall  we  act 


ITS  NECESSITY. 


93 


contrary  to  nature,  contrary  to  all  of  God 
that  is  in  us,  and  around  us  and  before  us. 
How  shall  we  who  have  just  escaped  from 
the  servitude  and  tyranny  of  a  foreign  nation 
go  back  of  our  own  accord  into  bondage 
and  serve  our  enemies?  Is  it  in  the  breast  of 
any  man  to  do  so  and  choose  slavery  rather 
than  liberty,  death  rather  than  life?  IN  ay, 
all  cry  give  me  liberty  or  give  me  death. 
So  how  is  it  in  the  nature  of  a  child  of  God 
just  escaped  from  the  most  abject  slavery,  to 
go  again  of  his  own  accord  into  it  and  serve 
his  worst  enemies,  because  he  is  to  be 
eventually  restored  to  the  glorious  liberty  of 
the  sons  of  God?  Indeed  it  is  absurd  to  say 
that  a  man  will  act  in  this  unnatural  way. 
Nature  will  act  out  itself  whether  it  be  in  the 
old  or  the  new  man,  and  sin  is  to  the  be¬ 
liever  such  a  frightful,  hateful  monster  that 
if  there  were  no  Glorified  Saviour  to  see,  no 
hell  to  shun  and  no  happy  shores  of  glory  to 
gain  he  would  not  commit,  much  less  con¬ 
tinue  in  it:  seeing  we  have  purified  our  hearts 
in  obeying  the  truth  through  the  Spirit,  we 
hate  every  false  and  wicked  way  and  love 
9 


94 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

God’s  holy  law.  Continuance  in  sin  is  con¬ 
trary  to  a  life  of  faith,  and  to  live  in  sin  know¬ 
ingly,  willfully  and  designedly,  and  indulge 
in  it,  that  grace  may  abound  is  to  turn  the 
grace  of  God  into  laciviousness,  and  is  con¬ 
trary  to  the  nature,  and  desire,  and  conduct  of 
the  believer,  as  well  as  to  the  scriptures:  yet 
some  eminent  saints  have  been  overcome  by 
sin  and  continued  for  a  time  under  its  influ¬ 
ence.  Peter  soon  recovered  from  his  dread¬ 
ful  sin  in  denying  his  Lord  thrice  and -with 
an  oath.  But  David,  who  went  astray  like 
a  lost  sheep,  must  have  continued  under  the 
stupifying  power  of  sin  for  nearly  a  year,  be¬ 
fore  he  was  aroused  and  restored  by  the 
scathing  parable  of  the  Lord’s  messenger. 
And  what  shall  we  say  of  Solomon  who 
lived  for  many  years  in  sin,  probably  from 
manhood  till  he  passed  the  meridian  of  life, 
from  the  time  he  married  so  many  wives 
who  caused  him  to  sin,  there  is  no  evidence 
of  his  repentance  and  reformation  till  it 
appears  in  his  Proverbs  and  Ecclesiastes, 
written  in  his  advanced  years.  These  books 
bear  the  marks  ol  a  true  penitent.  The 


ITS  NECESSITY. 


95 


vanity  of  the  world,  the  character  of  sin,  and 
of  her  whose  house  is  the  way  to  hell,  the 
warnings  and  exhortations  there  given  to  all 
and  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter,  to 
fear  God  and-  keep  his  commandments  is  the 
language  of  one  who  has  seen  the  evil  of 
his  ways  and  turned  to  the  Lord  for  pardon 
and  reconciliation.  Some  deny  that  Solo¬ 
mon  was  ever  restored  and  saved,  and  we 
admit  the  evidence  is  not  so  express  and  clear 
as  could  be  desired.  But  when  we  remem¬ 
ber  that  he  is  called  Jedidiah,  which  signi¬ 
fies  beloved  of  his  God,  and  that  among 
many  nations  there  was  no  king  like  him 
who  was  beloved  of  his  God  (2  Sam.  xii, 
25;  Neh.  xiii,  26),  and  take  this  in  connex¬ 
ion  with  the  fact  that  the  gifts  and  callings 
of  God  are  without  repentance,  that  whom 
he  loves  he  loves  unto  the  end,  we  think  there 
is  sufficient  evidence  to  warrant  the  belief 
that  Solomon  was  renewed  again  to  repent¬ 
ance,  pardoned  and  saved,  after  his  long  and 
fearful  apostacy  and  sin.  Sin  aggravated  by 
being  done  after  God  had  appeared  unto 
him  twice  and  given  him  wisdom,  and 


96  PARDON  OF  SIN,  ITS  NECESSITY. 

riches,  and  honor  above  all  kings  that  were 
before  him  and  that  will  be  after  him  (1 
Kings  xiv,  9;  35;  ix,  2).  Moreover  God 
said  I  will  be  his  father  and  he  will  be  my 
son,  and  I  will  not  take  my  mercy  away 
from  him  (1  Chron.  xvii,  13).  If  it  be  ad¬ 
mitted  that  he  was  once  beloved  of  God  as 
his  people  are,  it  must  also  be  admitted  that 
he  was  restored  and  saved,  or  that  God  is 
changeable  in  his  love  which  is  not  true, 
but  is  contrary  to  what  he  says  of  his 
people,  “  I  have  loved  thee  with  an  ever- 
1  asting  love,  my  loving  kindness  will  I  not 
utterly  take  from  him,  nor  suffer  my  faith- 
fullness  to  fail,  the  Lord  will  not  cast  off 
forever.”  Whilst  we  maintain  the  final 
perseverance  of  the  saints  we  do  not  maintain 
that  men  will  be  saved  if  they  have  once 
believed  although  they  live  as  they  list,  but 
that  believers  will  persevere  in  holiness  un¬ 
to  the  end.  We  hold  out  no  hope  to  those 
who  are  resolved  to  walk  contrary  to  God. 
But  while  sin  thus  prevails  over  the  believer 
he  is  not  in  his  element.  He  is  like  Samson 
with  his  locks  shorn  and  eyes  put  out,  like 


PARDON  OF  SIN,  97 

the  Israelites  in  Babylon  and  the  captive  in 
his  chains,  restless,  longing,  struggling 
for  liberty.  He  cries,  how  long  wilt  thou 
forget  me,  0  Lord !  forever?  How  long  wilt 
thou  hide  thy  face  from  me?  How  long 
shall  I  take  counsel  in  my  soul,  having  sorrow 
in  my  heart  daily?  How  long  shall  mine 
enemy  be  exalted  over  me,  and  when  wilt 
thou  come  unto  me?  Remember  me  I  pray 
thee,“  and  strengthen  me  I  pray  thee,  only 
this  once,  O  God,  that  I  may  be  at  once 
avenged  of  the  Philistines,  for  my  two  eyes 
(Judges  xvi,  28). 


CHAPTER  V. 

ENCOURAGEMENTS  TO  SEEK  PARDON. 

All  are  encouraged  to  seek  pardon, — the 
young  and  the  old  in  sin, — the  compara¬ 
tively  holy,  and  the  notoriously  wicked, — anil 
the  believer,  though  far  and  long  backslidden 
from  his  father’s  house,  till  he  has  wasted  his 
9* 


98 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 


substance,  and  begins  to  be  in  want.  They 
are  encouraged  by  the  institutions  of  religious 
worship ,  by  the  invitations,  promises  and  re¬ 
quirements  of  the  gospel,  by  the  nature  of 
God,  the  gift  of  his  Son,  and  the  atonement  he 
has  made,  by  the  provisions  of  the  covenant 
of  grace,  and  by  the  examples  of  those  that 
have  been  pardoned.  Among  these  are  sin¬ 
ners  of  all  grades,  from  the  lowest  to  the 
highest,  the  chief  before  and  after  conver¬ 
sion.  The  institutions  of  religious  worship, 
together  with  the  organization  of  the  church, 
are  designed  for  the  conversion  and  salvation 
of  sinners.  They  are  brought  into  the  church, 
which  is  Christ’s  body,  by  the  ministry  of  the 
word  and  sacraments,  the  instrumentality  of 
men  and  the  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It 
has  pleased  God  by  the  foolishness  of  preach¬ 
ing  to  save  them  that  believe.  Ministers  are 
ambassadors  for  Christ,  beseeching  and  pray¬ 
ing  sinners  in  Christ’s  stead  to  be  reconciled 
to  God,  who  of  his  own  will  begets  them  with 
the  word  of  truth  that  they  should  be  a  kind  of 
first  fruits  of  his  creatures.  The  gospel 
treasure  is  put  in  earthen  vessels,  that  the  ex- 


99 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

cellency  of  the  power  may  be  of  God  and 
not  of  us.  Whoever  waters,  it  is  God  that 
gives  the  increase  and  builds  up  the  church, 
not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my  spirit 
saith  the  Lord;  and  of  Zion  it  shall  be  said, this 
and  that  man  were  born  in  her.  When  Ma- 
noah  said  to  his  wife  we  shall  surely  die  be¬ 
cause  we  have  seen  God,  his  wife  said  unto 
him  if  the  Lord  were  pleased  to  kill  us  he 
would  not  have  received  a  burnt  offering  and 
a  meat  offering  at  our  hands  (Judges  xiii, 
23).  This  shows  that  the  design  of  religious 
worship  is  to  accept, through  the  merits  of  the 
great  Atoning  Sacrifice,  the  persons  and  ser¬ 
vices  of  sinners.  Baptism  and  the  Lord’s 
Supper  are  instituted  for  the  express  purpose 
of  granting  pardon.  John  preached  the  bap¬ 
tism  of  repentance  for  the  remission  of  sins; 
and  in  the  first  institution  of  the  Lord’s 
Supper,  Jesus  said  of  the  cup,  this  is  my 
blood  of  the  New  Testament,  which  is  shed 
for  the  remission  of  sins  (Mark  i,  4;  Matt* 
xxvi,  28).  The  invitations ,  'promises  and 
requirements  of  the  gospel  are  made  to  sin¬ 
ners  as  such ,  irrespective  of  age  .or  sex,  or 


100 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 


condition,  or  nation.  God  is  no  respecter  of 
persons,  but  in  every  nation  he  that  fears 
Him  and  works  righteousness,  is  accepted  of 
Him.  The  young,  are  particularly  invited 
to  seek  the  Lord  and  remember  their  Creator 
in  the  days  of  their  youth,  and  the  old  are 
not  excluded;  for  he  hires  laborers  in  his 
vineyard,  from  early  in  the  morning  till  the 
eleventh  hour  of  the  day  (Matt.  20).  Men  are 
not  invited  because  they  are  holy,  or  rich,  and 
wise,  and  honorable,  or  have  done  some  good 
deeds,  and  have  some  prerequisite  qualifica¬ 
tions,  but  as  destitute  of  all  good.  Every  one 
is  required  to  forgive  from  the  heart  if  he 
would  be  forgiven  by  God, — to  freely  forgive 
as  God  for  Christ’s  sake  hath  forgiven  us.  The 
scriptures  show  the  character  of  those,  to 
whom  the  invitations  and  promises  are  made; 
and  that  these  are  as  broad  as  the  sentence 
of  the  law  which  declares  the  soul  that  sin- 
neth,  it  shall  die.  In  his  word,  God  says, 
Unto  you,  0,  men,  I  call,  and  my  voice  is 
to  the  sons  of  man.  Ho,  every  one  that 
thirsteth  come  ye  to  the  waters.  Look  unto 
me  and  be  ye  saved  all  the  ends  of  the  earth. 


101 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

Hearken  unto  me,  ye  stout-hearted,  and  far 
from  righteousness;  come  now  and  let  us 
reason  together,  though  your  sins  be  as  scar¬ 
let  they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow;  though 
they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as 
wool.  Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way,  and 
the  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts,  and  let 
him  return  unto  the  Lord,  and  he  will  have 
mercy  upon  him,  and  to  our  God  for  he  will 
abundantly  pardon  (Isa.  i,  18;  xlv,22;  xlvi, 
12;  Iv,  7).  As  I  live  saith  the  Lord  I  have  no 
pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked,  but  that 
the  wicked  turn  from  his  way  and  live;  turn 
ye,  turn  ye,  from  your  evil  ways,  for  why 
will  ye  die?  (Ezk.  xxxiii.  11.)  Come  unto  me 
all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden, and  I  will 
give  you  rest  (Matt,  xi,  28).  Him  that 
cometh  unto  me,  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out 
(John  vi,  37).  Go  out  quickly  into  the 
streets  and  lanes  of  the  city,  and  bring  in 
hither  the  poor,  the  maimed  the  halt,  and 
the  blind;  go  out  in  to  the  highways  and 
hedges,  and  compel  them  to  come  in,  that 
my  house  may  be  filled.  Go  out  and  bring  in 
hither  sinners  of  all  grades;  compel  them  to 


102 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 


come  in.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  a 
net  that  gathered  of  every  kind  (Matt,  xiii, 
47;  Luke  xiv,  21,  23).  Ye  see  your  calling 
brethren,  how  that  not  many  wise  men  after 
the  flesh,  not  many  mighty,  not  many  noble 
are  called,  but  God  hath  chosen  the  foolish 
things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  wise; 
and  God  hath  chosen  the  weak  things  of  the 
world  to  confound  the  things  which  are 
mighty;  and  base  things  of  the  world  and 
things  which  are  despised  hath  God  chosen, 
yea,  and  things  which  are  not,  to  bring  to 
nought  things  that  are,  that  no  flesh  should 
glory  in  his  presence  ( 1  Cor.  i,  26-29).  To 
God’s  backslidden  people,  he  says,  0  Israel, 
return  unto  the  Lord  thy  God;  for  thou  hast 
fallen  by  thine  iniquities.  I  will  heal  their 
bac.kslidings,  I  will  love  them  freely  (Hos. 
14).  Thou  hast  played  the  harlot  with  many 
lovers,  yet  return  again  to  me,  saith  the 
Lord  (Jer.  iii,  2).  Even  from  the  days 
of  your  fathers,  ye  are  gone  away  from 
mine  ordinances  and  have  not  kept  them. 
Return  unto  me,  and  I  will  return  unto  you, 
saith  the  Lord  of  hosts  (Mai.  iii,  7). 


103 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

Though  ye  have  lain  among  the  pots,  yet 
shall  ye  be  as  the  wings  of  a  dove  covered 
with  silver  and  her  feathers  with  yellow  gold, 
(Ps.  Ixviii,  13).  I  will  cleanse  you  from  all 
your  iniquity;  from  all  your  filthiness  and 
from  all  your  idols  will  I  cleanse  you.  Ask, 
and  it  shall  be  given  you,  seek,  and  ye  shall 
find  (Matt,  vii,  7).  O,  what  exceeding  great 
and  precious  promises  are  given  us,  that  by 
these  we  might  be  partakers  of  the  divine  na¬ 
ture.  Who  are  not  included  in  them?  O 
sinner,  whoever,  and  whatever  you  are,  they 
are  given  to  you,  and  to  me,  and  to  all  who 
hear  the  gospel;  and  0,  may  God  in  his 
infinite  mercy  give  us  grace  to  receive  them 
in  love. 

The  nature  of  God,  the  gift  of  his  Son  to 
a  lost  world  and  the  atonement  he  has  made, 
encourage  all  to  seek  pardon.  In  nature  he 
is  long  suffering,  slow  to  anger,  ready  to 
forgive,  waiting  to  be  gracious,  delighting 
in  mercy.  In  him  compassions  flow,  and 
with  him  the  fatherless  find  mercy.  The  in¬ 
spired  penman  assures  us  that  he  “  is  long  suf¬ 
fering  and  of  great  mercy,  forgiving  iniquity 


104 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 


and  transgression.  He  proclaimed  his 
name  the  Lord,  the  Lord  God  merciful  and 
gracious,  long  suffering  and  abundant  in 
goodness  and  truth,  keeping  mercy  for  thou¬ 
sands,  forgiving  iniquity  and  transgression, 
and  sin.  Thou  art  a  God  ready  to  pardon, 
gracious  and  merciful,  slow  to  anger  and  of 
great  kindness.  He  retaineth  not  his  anger 
forever,  because  he  delighteth  in  mercy;  his 
mercy  is  above  the  heavens  and  it  endureth 
forever  (Numb,  xiv,  18).  He  exercises  loving 
kindness,  judgment  and  righteousness  in  the 
earth  ”  (Jer.  ix,  24;  Ex.  xxxiv,  67;  Neh.  ix, 
17;  Mich,  vii,  18;  Ps.  ciii,  8;  13). 

“  The  Lord  our  God  is  merciful 
and  he  is  gracious, 

Long  suffering,  and  slow  to  wrath, 
in  mercy  plenteous. 

He  will  not  chide  continually, 
nor  keep  his  anger  still. 

With  us  he  dealt  not  as  we  sinn’d 
nor  did  requite  our  ill. 

For  as  the  heaven  in  its  height 
the  earth  surmounteth  far*. 

So  great  to  those  that  do  him  fear 
his  tender  mercies  are ; 


105 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

As  far  as  east  is  distant  from 
the  west,  so  far  hath  he 
From  us  removed,  in  his  love, 
all  our  iniquity.” 

The  whole  earth  is  full  of  his  goodness 
which  is  manifested  in  our  creation,  pre- 
servation  and  redemption.  He  has  made  us 
so  that  nature  and  our  various  senses  are  in¬ 
struments  of  pleasure,  instead  of  pain; 
whereas,  if  he  intended  our  misery  how 
easily  could  he  have  accomplished  it  by 
making  us  a  terror  to  ourselves  and  to  all 
around  us,  by  making  “  every  thing  we 
tasted  bitter,  every  thing  we  saw  loathsome? 
every  thing  we  touched  a  sting,  every  smell 
a  stench  and  every  sound  a  discord.”  How 
different  is  it  and  how  great  is  his  goodness 
which  he  has  laid  up  for  them  that  fear  him. 
With  the  utmost  care  and  tenderness,  “the 
Lord  preserves  all  who  him  love,  that  nought 
can  them  annoy,”  preserves  them  at  all 
times,  in  all  places  and  in  all  circumstances; 
the  sun  shall  not  smite  them  by  day  nor  the 
moon  by  night.  He  keeps  them  as  the 
apple  of  his  eye;  he  preserves  man  and  beast; 


106  ENCOURAGEMENTS. 

and  his  tender  mercies  are  over  all  his  works* 
A  sparrow  can  not  fall  to  the  ground  without 
his  knowledge.  “  He  sees  with  equal  eye  as 
God  of  all,  a  hero  perish  or  a  sparrow  fall.” 
God  is  love;  and  his  love  is  signally  displayed 
in  the  gift  of  his  Son  to  perishing  sinners  He 
has  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked ;  he 
is  not  willing  that  any  should  perish,  but  that 
all  should  come  to  repentance.  He  hates  put¬ 
ting  away;  he  so  loved  the  world  that  he 
gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever 
believeth  in  him,  should  not  perish,  but  have 
everlasting  life.  O,  wonderful,  stupendous, 
unspeakable  gift!  Would  it  ever  have  been 
given  if  God  had  not  designed  our  salva¬ 
tion?  Nay.  But  God  commendeth  his  love 
towards  us  in  that  while  we  were  yet  sinners, 
Christ  died  for  us  (Rom.  v,  8).  It  is  by  the 
gift  and  death  of  his  Son,  that  he  can  exer¬ 
cise  mercy  to  the  guilty,  that  he  can  and 
does  exercise  it  in  consistency  with  his  jus¬ 
tice,  and  the  rectitude  of  his  moral  govern¬ 
ment;  and  only  in  this  wTay  can  he  be  just 
and  yet  the  justifier  of  him  that  believeth  in 
Jesus.  He  is  just,  as  well  as  merciful,  and 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


107 


he  must  be  so  or  cease  to  be  a  holy  and 
righteous  God.  “  A  God  all  mercy  is  a 
God  unjust.”  His  law  and  justice  must 
be  vindicated,  and  Jesus  has  done  this  by  the 
atonement  he  has  made.  He  satisfied  divine 
justice;  he  magnified  the  law  and  made  it 
honorable;  he  gave  himself  for  us,  an  offering 
ami  a  sacrifice  to  God,  ora  sweet  smelling 
savor, — gave  himself  a  ransom  for  many, — a 
ransom  for  all;  he  died  for  our  sins  according 
to  the  scriptures;  he  bore  our  sins  in  his  own 
body  on  the  tree,  he  is  the  propitiation  for 
our  sins;  he  was  made  a  sin  offering  for  us; 
and  by  his  death  we  are  reconciled  to  God; 
he  has  redeemed  us  to  God  by  his  own  blood. 
It  is  by  him  that  we  have  now  received  the 
atonement,  and  there  can  be  no  dispute  about 
its  all  sufficiency  to  cleanse  from  all  sin. 
On  this  point  we  can  freely  adopt  the  senti¬ 
ment  of  Dr.  Wardlaw,  “  Such  is  my  opinion 
of  its  sufficiency,  that  were  the  guilt  of  all 
the  millions  of  mankind  that  have  ever  lived 
concentrated  in  my  own  person,  I  should  see 
no  reason, relying  on  that  blood  which  cleanses 
from  all  sin,  to  indulge  despair.'” 


108 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 


The  provision  of  the  covenant  of  grace  af¬ 
fords  the  same  encouragement .  “  This  is 

the  covenant  that  I  will  make  with  the  house 
of  Israel;  After  those  (lays,  saith  the  Lord,  I 
will  put  my  law  in  their  minds,  and  write  it 
in  their  hearts;  and  will  be  their  God,  and  they 
will  be  my  people.  I  will  forgive  their 
iniquity  and  I  will  remember  their  sin  no 
more.  I  will  make  an  everlasting  covenant 
with  them  that  I  will  not  turn  away  from 
them  to  do  them  good  but  I  will  put  my  fear 
in  their  hearts  that  they  shall  not  depart  from 
me.  Yea  I  will  rejoice  over  them  to  do  them 
good,  with  ray  whole  heart  and  with  my 
whole  soul  ”  (Jer.  xxxi,  33,  34;  xxxii,  40, 
41;  Heb.  viii,  10,  12).  This  covenant  is 
made  with  the  house  of  Israel,  which  is  a 
term  signifying  all  believers,  not  only 
all  who  have,  but  all  who  will  hereafter 
believe.  It  contains  provision  for  all  the 
sins  of  all  believers, — it  contains  pardon  and 
security,  grace  and  glory, — all  that  pertains 
to  life  and  godliness.  God  engages  to  re¬ 
generate  them,  pardon  their  sins,  sanctify 
their  natures,  preserve  them  in  a  state  of 


PARDON  OF  SIN 


109 


grace,  glorify  them,  rejoice  over  them,  to  do 
them  good, with  his  whole  heart,  and  with  his 
whole  soul.  In  a  word,  he  engages  to  be 
their  God,  and  take  them  to  be  his  people. 
This  is  taught  by  the  language  of  the  cove¬ 
nant.  I  will  put  my  law  in  their  mind  and 
write  it  in  their  heart,  and  this  language  sig¬ 
nifies  their  regeneration;  as  when  he  says,  a 
new  heart  also  will  I  give  you,  and  a  new  spi¬ 
rit  will  I  put  within  you;  and  this  is  done 
when  they  are  dead  in  trespasses  and  in  sins, 
unable  and  unwilling  to  return  to  him.  Yet  it 
is  done  in  the  use  of  means.  I  will  forgive 
their  iniquity  and  I  will  remember  their 
sins  no  more,  teaches  that  pardon  is  pro¬ 
cured  for  them  by  the  atonement  of  Christ, 
and  includes  not  only  their  past  and  present 
sins,  but  “  secures  them  against  the  imputa¬ 
tion  of  the  guilt  of  such  sins  as  they  may 
afterwards  commit.”  As  the  first  principles 
of  holiness  or  seed  of  regeneration  is  sown 
in  them,  signified  by  writing  his  law  in  their 
hearts,  so  it  is  -watered  and  cherished  for 
their  sanctification.  I  will  sprinkle  clean 
water  upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be  clean;  the 
10* 


110 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 


very  God  of  peace  will  sanctify  them  wholly, 
for  he  is  faithful  who  hath  called  them, 
who  also  will  do  it.  They  are  also  pre¬ 
served  in  Christ  Jesus.  God  who  rests  in  his 
love,  is  not  changeable  like  man.  He  engages 
to  not  turn  away  from  them  to  do  them  good, 
but  to  put  his  fear  in  their  hearts,  that  they 
shall  not  depart  from  him.  His  covenant 
of  peace  shall  not  be  removed  (Isa.  liv,  10). 
“  Their  faith  may  be  feeble,  but  it  shall  not 
utterly  fail;  their  holiness  may  lose  its  lustre, 
but  it  shall  not  be  extinguished;  sin  may,  oc¬ 
casionally  prevail  against  them,  but  shall  not 
recover  the  dominion. The  water  I  shall  give 
him, shall  be  in  him, a  well  of  water  springing 
up  into  everlasting  life  (John  iv,  14).  He 
will  finally  glorify  them;  whom  he  justified, 
them  he  also  glorified  (Rom.  viii,  30).  The 
Lord  will  give  grace  and  glory  (Ps.  Ixxxiv, 
11).  The  ransomed  of  the  Lord  shall  return 
and  come  to  Zion  with  songs  and  everlasting 
joy  upon  their  heads.  They  shall  obtain  joy 
and  gladness,  and  sorrow  and  sighing  shall 
flee  away  (Isa.  xxxv,  10).  Such  are,  briefly, 
the  blessings  of  this  covenant;  but  as  it  con- 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


111 


tains  our  salvation,  let  us  further  say,  in  ac¬ 
cordance  with  the  views  of  the  Rev.  Francis 
Gillies, that  it  is  one  of  the  only  two  covenants 
ever  made  on  the  part  of  God,  relative  to  the 
eternal  state  and  happiness  of  man.  The 
covenant  of  works  was  broken  by  Adam, 
the  head  and  representative  of  his  posterity; 
in  consequence  of  which  its  blessings  were 
lost;  and  depravity,  guilt,  and  misery,  tempo¬ 
ral  and  spiritual,  ensued  to  the  whole  human 
family.  But  the  covenant  of  grace,  that 
everlasting  covenant,  well  ordered  in  all 
things  and  sure,  which  is  all  our  salvation 
and  all  our  desire  (2  Sam.  xxiii,  5).  Was 
made  with  Christ  the  head  and  representa¬ 
tive  of  his  spiritual  seed  and  with  them  in 
him  and  is  fulfilled,  ratified  and  sealed  by 
the  blood  of  Jesus,  its  head,  and  surety,  and 
administrator,  and  is  the  source  of  holiness, 
and  happiness,  and  eternal  life.  Here  is 
their  security,  the  covenant  of  grace,  God 
himself  who  engages  to  see  that,  all  believers 
shall  be  brought  to  enjoy  all  its  blessings. 
It  is  by  way  of  eminence  the  covenant  of 
grace ,  all  of  grace ,  here  the  grace  of  God 


112 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 


reigns.  Its  end  and  design  are  to  manifest 
the  exceeding  riches  of  his  grace.  God  was 
under  no  necessity  of  making  it  with  fallen 
man,  guilty  and  depraved,  having  no  claims 
on  his  mercy  more  than  the  fallen  angels. 
He  is  self-existent,  perfectly  happy,  in  and 
of  himself,  independent  of  all  his  creatures 
and  needeth  not  the  services  of  any,  and 
though  all  would  perish  his  happiness  and 
glory  are  not  diminished.  It  is  then  all  of 
grace  containing  a  cluster  of  the  richest  and 
freest  promises,  to  obtain  which,  no  human 
merit  or  prerequisite  qualifications  are  neces¬ 
sary  or  required.  The  merits  of  Christ,  his 
vicarious  sufferings  and  dying  for  his  people 
are  the  only  proper  conditions  of  it.  To  us 
it  is  free  and  “  absolute  as  the  covenant  of 
the  seasons  with  Noah.5’  The  character  of 
those  in  whom  it  is  fulfilled,  proves  its  free¬ 
ness.  They  are  great  sinners,  often  the 
oldest  and  vilest,  hell-deserving.  It  begins 
at  Jerusalem,  and  publicans  and  harlots  are 
brought  into  it,  while  the  Scribes  and  Phari¬ 
sees,  the  decent,  and  respectable,  and  moral 
among  men  are  often  left  out. 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


113 


It  is  a  covenant  for  good,  all  about  doing  us 
good, without  a  word  of  wrath,  and  curse,  and 
deserving  punishment.  It  is  from  the  Author 
of  every  good  and  perfect  gift,  who  will  not 
turn  away  from  doing  his  people,  constant, 
certain  and  unlimited  good.  His  word  and 
faithfulness  are  given  that  he  will  not  turn 
away,  and  that  he  will  not  permit  them  by 
their  own  voluntary  act  to  go  back  to  perdi¬ 
tion.  Whom  he  loves  he  loves  unto  the  end. 
He  hates  putting  away,  and  he  will  never 
leave  nor  forsake  them.  His  gifts  and  call¬ 
ings  are  without  repentance.  His  eyes  are 
on  them  for  good. 

Sanctified  afflictions  are  among  the  great¬ 
est  blessings,  and  the  richest  jewels  in  their 
crown.  “  Even  crosses  from  our  Maker’s 
hand  are  blessings  in  disguise.”  They  shall 
work  out  for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and 
eternal  weight  of  glory.  Though  ungrate¬ 
ful  for  his  mercies,  though  sinful  in  their  en¬ 
joyment,  though  forgetful  of  the  all-bounti¬ 
ful  giver,  though  we  often  abuse  and  pervert 
them  to  his  dishonor  and  our  injury,  yet  he 
will  not  turn  away.  It  is  ordered  in  all 


114 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 


things  and  sure;  and  this  includes  all  good, 
temporal,  spiritual  and  eternal,  for  the  body, 
the  mind  and  the  soul,  grace  and  glory, — all 
that  God  can  in  wisdom  give  and  man  re¬ 
ceive, — immortality,  eternal  life,  deliverance 
from  the  reign  of  sin,  the  curse  of  the  law, 
the  tyranny  of  Satan,  the  love  of  the  world 
and  the  wrath  to  come, — good  before  and 
after  conversion,  through  eternity.  O,  how 
great  is  thy  goodness  which  thou  hast 
laid  up  for  them  that  fear  Thee  ?  It  is 
complete  and  sure,  providing  for  all  on  the 
part  of  God,  and  man  for  his  enjoyment  of 
it.  Left  to  ourselves  we  would  just  sin  on, 
and  if  possible  disannul  the  covenant.  But 
he  will  put  his  fear  in  our  hearts,  that  we 
shall  not  depart  from  him  totally,  and  finally; 
and  all  our  departures,  he  will  overrule  for 
our  good.  They  are  kept  by  his  power 
through  faith  unto  salvation,  I  will  make 
and  who  will  or  can  hinder  ?  Neither  sin, 
nor  men,  and  angels,  and  all  the  combined 
powers  of  the  universe.  I  will  make  and 
who  will  or  can  unmake  it  ?  It  is  sure 
and  immutable  as  God  himself,  vast  as  the 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


115 


desires  of  man,  high  as  heaven,  endless  as 
eternity,  and  made  with  believers  'personally 
in  the  day  of  their  regeneration.  It  is  not 
then  made  with  all  men  for  many  have  never 
heard  of  its  existence,  nor  had  its  offer  any 
more  than  they  have  heard  of  a  Saviour  and 
had  the  offer  of  him  in  the  Gospel.  But  as 
to  believers,  their  names  are  written  in  it  as 
in  the  book  of  life,  graven  upon  the  palms 
of  his  hands,  set  as  a  seal  upon  his  heart 
and  upon  his  arm,  constantly  in  his  eye, 
borne  upon  his  spirit  at  all  times,  in  all 
places,  and  in  all  his  actions.  This  fear  in 
their  hearts  exhibited  in  a  holy  life,  is  the 
external  mark  of  their  interest  in  it,  and  this 
evidence  is  in  proportion  to  their  holiness . 
That  it  is  not  made  with  all  men,  nor  de¬ 
signed  for  all  without  exception ,  is  evident 
from  the  event.  It  is  not  made  known  and 
offered  to  all,  and  all  are  not  saved ;  and  it 
is  begging  the  question  to  say  that  the  fail¬ 
ure  of  salvation  is  owing  to  man’s  unbelief, 
for  it  is  not  revealed  and  offered  to  all,  and 
how  can  they  believe  in  Him  of  whom  they 
have  not  heard.  Besides,  God  pledges  him- 


116 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 


self  to  secure  its  blessings  to  all  for  whom  it 
was  designed,  and  faith  is  one  of  those  bless¬ 
ings  which  he  works  in  them  with  power. 
All  men,  without  exception ,  are  not  included 
in  it  more  than  all  angels,  and  none  can  find 
fault,  “Even  so,  F ather,  for  so  it  seemed  good 
in  thy  sight;7’  yet  all  men, without  distinction , 
are  included  in  it,  and  in  taking  hold  of  it, 
are  blessed  with  a  place  and  a  name  in  God’s 
house — an  everlasting  name  that  shall  not 
be  cut  ofif ;  (Isa.  lvi.  4,  7,)  also  the  sons  of 
the  stranger  that  join  themselves  to  the 
Lord,  and  that  take  hold  of  my  covenant, 
even  them  will  I  bring  to  my  holy  mountain, 
and  make  them  joyful  in  my  house  of  prayer, 
make  them  pillars  in  the  temple  of  God,  and 
they  shall  go  no  more  out.  It  is  holy,  called 
God’s  holy  covenant  (Luke  i.  72).  It  pre¬ 
serves  and  displays  the  righteousness  and 
holiness  of  God’s  government  in  the  salva¬ 
tion  of  sinners  by  Jesus  Christ.  Man’s  de¬ 
vised  plans  of  salvation,  always  lower  the 
righteousness,  and  stain  the  holiness  of 
God’s  conduct.  They  make  him  infinitely 
merciful,  but  not  infinitely  holy  and  just. 


PARDON  OF  SIN. 


117 


But  here,  the  infinite  holiness  and  justice  of 
God  appear.  He  is  just,  and  yet  the  justi- 
fier  of  him  that  believeth  in  Jesus.  He  is 
faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and 
to  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness.  It 
also  secures  the  personal  holiness  of  all 
brought  into  it.  God  promises  to  put  his 
fear  into  their  hearts;  that  is,  all  holy  prin¬ 
ciples  and  right  dispositions,  by  which  their 
holiness  is  secured — infallibly  secured.  Ho¬ 
liness  is  a  beauty  of  this  covenant,  at  the  re¬ 
membrance  of  which,  the  believer  gives 
thanks.  Nor  is  holiness  the  condition  of 
taking  hold,  or  entering  into  it.  Men  are 
chosen,  not  because  they  are  holy,  but  tha 
they  should  be  holy,  and  without  blame  be¬ 
fore  him  in  love.  This  holiness,  without 
which  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord,  is  secured 
to  them  by  his  invisible,  and  unerring,  and 
almighty  hand.  It  is  everlasting.  The  de¬ 
privation  of  its  blessings  after  tasting  their 
sweetness, would  torture  and  agonize  the  soul, 
in  proportion  to  its  sense  of  the  loss  sus¬ 
tained.  But  it  is  everlasting,  perpetual, 
constant,  immutable,  unfading, unending;  be- 


118 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


cause  its  condition  is  fulfilled  by  the  Son, 
and  accepted  by  the  Father,  whose  faithful¬ 
ness  will  secure  its  blessings,  and  its  perpe¬ 
tuity.  The  mountains  shall  depart,  and  the 
hills  be  removed,  but  my  kindness  shall  not 
depart,  neither  shall  the  covenant  of  my 
peace  be  removed,  saith  the  Lord,  that  hath 
mercy  on  thee.  Its  perpetuity  does  not  de¬ 
pend  on  our  works,  or  merits,  or  the  work  of 
grace  in  our  hearts,  or  it  would  fail;  but  on 
the  Lord  our  righteousness,  and  resting  on 
this  Rock  of  Ages,  it  is  stable  and  eternal  as 
the  throne  of  God.  “All  else  is  sand,”  but 
this  “  will  outlive  death  and  the  judgment, 
survive  the  wreck  of  the  world,  and  run 
parallel  with  eternity.”  Faith  is  the  only 
way  of  entering  into  the  enjoyment  of  it. 
It  is  the  covenant  of  promise,  and  all  that  is 
necessary  to  the  enjoyment  of  a  free  prom¬ 
ise,  is  simply  to  receive  and  rely  on  it.  This 
is  the  part  w^hich  faith  acts.  It  receives  and 
rests  on  Christ,  and  the  promises  in  him. 
Faith  is  part  of  the  good  of  this  covenant, 
to  be  done  to  us.  It  is  God’s  gift,  of  his 
operation;  and  Christ’s  righteousness  is  the 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 


119 


only  proper  condition  of  it.  Any  thing  else 
would  destroy  the  grace  of  it,  and  make  it  a 
modified  covenant  of  works.  But  it  is  all  of 
grace,  or  all  of  works,  otherwise  grace  is  no 
more  grace,  or  works  are  no  more  works. 
It  is  freely  offered,  and  must  be  so  received 
by  all  who  would  enjoy  its  blessings — free 
as  the  air,  or  the  light  of  the  sun;  and  work 
or  merit  on  our  part,  would  mutilate,  nullify 
and  subvert  it.  We  are  blessed  not  for 
taking,  but  in  receiving  it.  We  must  re¬ 
ceive  it  not  as  laborers  claim  and  receive 
wages  due,  but  as  beggars  receive  alms. 
It  is  then  of  faith,  that  it  might  be  by  grace, 
and  sure  to  all  the  seed,  (Romans  iv.  16). 
Moreover,  all  true  covenanting,  consists  in 
taking  hold  of  this  covenant  by  an  act  of  live¬ 
ly  appropriating  faith  in  God,  or  true  believ¬ 
ing  in  Jesus.  Our  covenanting  will  be  just  in 
proportion  to  our  faith.  Covenants  of  duty 
by  which  men  bind  themselves  to  discharge 
all  religious  duties,  are  built  on  this  cove¬ 
nant.  Men  may  write  them  out  and  sign 
them  with  their  own  blood,  but  all  is  vain 
without  genuine,  appropriating  faith  in 


120 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


Christ  Jesus;  and  as  often  as  we  act  faith  in 
him,  we  covenant  with  God.  Here  is  the 
sinner’s  encouragement  and  the  believer’s 
security.  It  secures  his  pardon  and  final 
happiness,  and  shows  that  though  he  fall  he 
shall  not  be  utterly  cast  down.  It  is  not 
falling  into  the  mire,  but  lying  there,  that 
destroys  men:  it  is  not  falling  into  sin,  but 
continuing  in  it,  that  destroys  the  soul  eter¬ 
nally.  Then  lay  hold  of  God’s  covenant: 
acquaint  now  thyself  with  him  and  be  at 
peace;  thereby  good  shall  come  to  thee. 

The  examples  of  those  who  have  been  par¬ 
doned,  encourage  all  to  see/c  forgiveness. 
Among  these,  are  found  the  chief  of  sinners, 
some  before  and  some  after  conversion ;  as 
Noah,  Lot,  David,  Solomon,  the  Israelites, 
Manasseh,  Mary  Magdalene,  Peter,  Paul, 
the  Corinthians,  and  the  murderers  of  our 
Lord.  Lot  and  Peter  are  instances  of  re¬ 
lapses  into  the  same  sin,  the  Israelites  and 
Solomon,  of  repeated  acts  and  long  continu¬ 
ance  in  sin.  They  tempted  God  these  ten 
times;  oft  did  they  provoke  him  in  the  wil¬ 
derness,  and  grieve  him  in  the  desert:  turned 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 


121 


back,  tempted  God,  and  limited  the  Holy 
One  of  Israel:  from  the  days  of  their  fathers, 
from  their  youth  unto  this  day  they  forsook 
him;  but  being  full  of  compassion  he  for¬ 
gave  their  iniquity,  (Num.  xiv.,  Ps.  lxxviii., 
Jer.  iii.)  Mary  Magdalene,  out  of  whom 
were  cast  seven  devils,  and  the  Corinthians, 
are  examples  of  unchaste  and  scandalous 
sinners,  and  also  the  publicans  and  harlots, 
(Luke  vii.,  1  Cor.  vi.  9,  11).  Manasseh, 
and  Paul,  and  the  murderers  of  Jesus  Christ 
are  instances  of  the  chief  of  sinners.  Know 
assuredly  that  God  hath  made  that  same 
Jesus,  whom  ye  have  crucified,  both  Lord 
and  Christ.  Now  wThen  they  heard  this, 
they  were  pricked  in  their  heart,  and  said, 
what  shall  we  do?  Then  Peter  said  unto 
them,  repent,  and  be  baptized,  every  one 
of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the 
remission  of  sins,  for  the  promise  is  to  you. 
Then  they  that  gladly  received  his  word 
■were  baptized;  and  the  same  day,  were 
added  unto  them,  about  three  thousand  souls, 
some  of  whom  had  imbued  their  hands  in  the 
blood  of  Christ.  (Acts  ii.)  Paul  says  he 
11* 


122 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


was  a  blasphemer  and  a  persecutor,  and  inju¬ 
rious, — persecuted  them  (the  saints)  unto  the 
death — persecuted  them  often  in  every  syna¬ 
gogue,  and  compelled  them  to  blaspheme; 
and  being  exceedingly  mad  against  them 
I  persecuted  them  even  unto  strange  cities. 
But  I  obtained  mercy:  the  grace  of  our 
Lord  was  exceeding  abundant.  This  is  a 
faithful  saying  and  worthy  of  all  accepta¬ 
tion,  that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world 
to  save  sinners,  of  whom  I  am  chief.  How- 
beit  for  this  cause  I  obtained  mercy,  that  in 
me  first,  Jesus  Christ  might  show  forth  all 
long  suffering,  for  a  'pattern  to  them  which 
should  hereafter  believe  on  him,  to  life  ever¬ 
lasting.  .  What  a  pattern  of  pardon.  (  ITim. 
i.  13, 16.)  As  to  Manasseh,  he  was  guilty  of 
every  thing  that  is  bad — guilty  of  the  great¬ 
est  sins,  for  which  no  sacrifice  was  provided 
under  the  law,  and  against  which  there  was 
express  warning  that  those  guilty  of  them 
should  be  put  to  death,  especially  the  idola¬ 
ter,  the  murderer,  and  those  who  sacrificed 
their  children  to  idols,  and  consulted  evil 
spirits,  witches,  wizards,  etc.;  for  which  the 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 


123 


kingdom  was  rent  from  Saul,  and  he  rejected 
by  God,  whom  he  thus  denied.  (Lev.  xviii. 
2 1 ;  xx.  2,  6 ;  Deu.  iv.  18,  10, 11).  But  con¬ 
trary  to  all  this  he  sold  himself,  like  Ahab? 
to  work  wickedness  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord. 
He  destroyed,  as  far  as  possible,  the  true  re¬ 
ligion,  by  raising  up  altars  unto  Baal,  making 
groves  and  worshiping  all  the  host  of  heav¬ 
en.  He  was  guilty  of  idolatry,  and  pro¬ 
faned  the  house  of  God  with  his  idols,  and 
sacrificed  his  children  to  idols;  which  sin 
filled  up  the  measure  of  the  iniquity  of 
God’s  people,  (Ezek.  xvi.  20,):  he  was  in 
league  with  Satan,  and  observed  times,  and 
used  enchantment  and  witchcraft,  and  dealt 
with  a  familiar  spirit,  and  with  wizards:  he 
shed  much  innocent  blood — the  blood  of  the 
saints  and  prophets,  of  fathers,  mothers  and 
children,  (2  Kings  xxi.  16,):  he  did  much 
evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  like  the  abom¬ 
inations  of  the  heathen,  and  caused  God’s 
people  to  sin  even  worse  than  the  heathen; 

•  and  after  his  sins  he  would  not  hearken  to  di¬ 
vine  admonitions  and  reproofs, — worse  than 
the  abominations  of  the  heathen,  among 
which  were  idolatry,  adultery,  fornication. 


224 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

incest,  sodomy,  bestiality,  sins  that  are  the 
perpetual  reproach  of  human  nature.  (Lev. 
xviii.)  These  are  some  of  his  sins,  and  yet 
after  all,  he  besought  the  Lord  and  obtained 
mercy.  ( 1,  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  2,  3,  6,  7,  9, 10, 
12,  13).  Who  then  need  despair:  your  case 
may  not  be  like  Manesseh’s,  Noah’s,  Lot’s, 
David’s,  the  Corinthians’,  etc.,  but  for  all 
sorts  of  sins  and  sinners  there  is  forgiveness 
with  God;  and  there  are  those  in  heaven  who 
have  been  guilty  of  them.  May  we  be 
added  to  that  happy  number  who  are  forgiven. 

But  there  is  a  time  to  seek  and  obtain: 
now  is  the  accepted  time — now  is  the  day  of 
salvation:  to-morrow  may  be  too  late:  the 
ark  may  be  closed:  this  night  your  soul  may 
be  required.  There  is  one  case  on  record  of 
a  sinner  saved  at  the  eleventh  hour,  that  none 
may  despair,  and  but  one,  that  none  may 
presume  to  delay  this  important  duty. 

“Be  wise  to  Jay,  ’tis  madness  to  defer, 

Next  day  the  fatal  precedent  will  plead; 

Thus  on,  till  wisdom  is  pushed  out  of  life. 
Procrastination  is  the  thief  of  time. 

Year  after  year  it  steals  till  all  are  fled, 

And  to  the  mercies  of  a  moment  leaves 
The  vast  concerns  of  an  eternal  scene.” 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 


125 


Then  seek  without  delay:  seek  with  all 
your  heart  and  might:  the  kingdom  of  heav¬ 
en  suffereth  violence,  and  the  violent  take  it 
by  force.  Strive  to  enter  in  at  the  strait 
gate,  for  many  shall  seek  to  enter  in  and 
shall  not  be  able.  Whatsoever  thy  hand 
findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might,  for  there 
is  no  work,  nor  device,  nor  knowledge,  nor 
wisdom,  in  the  grave,  whither  thou  goest. 
The  divine  command,  the  brevity  and  uncer- 
tainty  of  life,  and  the  importance  of  the 
work, —  all  demand  this  exertion.  Seek  in 
the  use  of  the  means  of  grace  by  prayer  and 
supplication:  take  with  you  words  and  say, 
Take  away  all  iniquity  and  receive  us  gra¬ 
ciously:  pardon  mine  iniquity  for  it  is  great. 
Seek  in  faith,  and  love,  relying  on  the  prom¬ 
ises,  and  divine  aid:  seek  with  importunity, 
in  the  language  and  spirit  of  the  patriarch, 
“  I  will  not  let  thee  go  except  thou  bless 
me.5’ 

But  it  is  objected  that  wilful  sinners  and 
backsliders  can  not  be  forgiven,  u  for  if  wTe 
sin  wilfully  after  that  we  have  received  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth,  there  remaineth  no 


126 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


more  sacrifice  for  sins.”  (Heb.  x.  26).Wereply 
that  this  text  does  not  refer  to  all  wilful  sin- 
ing,  for  the  best  of  men  sin  wilfully,  that  is, 
with  the  consent  of  their  will.  Peter, and  others 
already  noticed,  sinned  with  their  own  con¬ 
sent,  even  after  they  had  received  the  know¬ 
ledge  of  the  truth,  and  yet  were  forgiven. 
It  then  refers  to  a  wilful  and  obstinate  course 
of  sinning,  or  to  the  rejection  of  Christ  and 
the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  him.  After 
men  have  professed  the  great  truth,  that  Je¬ 
sus  is  the  only  Saviour  of  sinners,  and  yet, 
against  all  evidence,  all  the  light  and  con¬ 
victions  of  their  consciences,  they  deny  this 
truth,  and  obstinately  presist  in  the  denial  of 
it,  seeing  there  is  no  more,  no  other  sacrifice 
for  sin,  no  other  Saviour,  nor  any  salvation 
by  any  other  way:  “  there  is  no  hope — no 
help  for  them,  for  they  shut  themselves  out 
from  all  hope,  and  all  help.  Again,  “  it  is 
impossible  for  those  who  were  once  enlight¬ 
ened,  and  have  tasted  of  the  heavenly  gift, 
and  were  made  partakers  of  thePIoly  Ghost, 
and  have  tasted  the  good  word  of  God  and 
the  powers  of  the  world  to  come,  if  they 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 


127 


shall  fall  away,  to  renew  them  again  to  re¬ 
pentance.”  (Heb.  vi.  4,  6).  This  passage 
and  the  former  have  been  a  stone  of  stum¬ 
bling  to  many,  and  an  occasion  of  much 
trouble  to  many  a  true  believer,  who  has 
fallen  by  his  iniquity;  and  though  the  back¬ 
slider  in  heart  shall  be  filled  with  his  own 
ways,  let  us  place  in  opposition  to  this  pas¬ 
sage,  God’s  promise  to  his  backslidden  peo¬ 
ple — “  I  will  heal  their  backslidings,  I  will 
love  them  freely.”  (Hos.  xiv.)  And  the 
fact  that  he  has  renewed  and  healed  many 
who  have  fallen,  after  they  were  enlightened 
or  converted,  and  then  what  becomes  of  the 
objection.  Does  it  not  fall,  and  show  that 
any  passage  taken  by  itself  will  prove  al¬ 
most  anything?  The  passage  is  hypotheti¬ 
cal;  that  is,  on  the  supposition  that  they 
shall  fall  away — fall  totally  and  finally. 
But  God  has  engaged  to  put  his  fear  in  their 
hearts  that  they  shall  not  depart  from  him  in 
this  way.”  (Jer.  xxxii.  40.)  Now,  admit- 
ing  that  the  person  here  spoken  of  has  been 
converted  or  enlightened,  and  tasted  of  the 
heavenly  gift,  etc.,  and  after  all  this,  has 


128 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


fallen  away  from  these  great  and  rare  at¬ 
tainments,  though  it  may  not  be  possible 
with  men  and  with  the  ordinary  means  of 
grace  to  renew  him  yet  with  the  extraordi¬ 
nary  means,  and  with  God  it  is  possible,  for 
with  God  all  things  are  possible — all  things 
that  are  agreeable  to  his  nature.  But  it  is 
agreeable  to  his  nature  to  save  sinners,  and 
to  renew  those  that  have  fallen  after  conver¬ 
sion,  as  appears  from  his  promises  and  re¬ 
newing  acts  in  the  case  of  fallen  believers 
al.  eady  noticed.  As  it  is  not  from  an  isolat¬ 
ed  passage,  but  from  the  analogy  of  faith; 
that  is,  the  agreement  of  one  part  of  script¬ 
ure  with  another  that  our  view’s  are  to  be 
established;  so  this  text  may  be  explained 
by  a  parallel  one.  (Mat.  xix.  24,  26;  Mk 
x.  25,  27).  It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go 
through  the  eye  of  a  needle  than  for  a  rich 
man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  To 
the  disciples,  astonished  out  of  measure  at 
this  saying,  and  inquiring  who  then  can  be 
saved,  Jesus  said,  with  men  it  is  impossible 
but  not  with  God,  for  with  God  all  things 
are  possible.  It  is  possible  with  him  to  save 


ENCOURAGEMENTS. 


129 


a  rich  man  as  well  as  a  poor  one.  It  is  pos¬ 
sible  with  him  to  renew  those  who  were 
once  enlightened,  but  are  now  fallen,  as  well 
as  to  renew  those  who  were  never  enlight¬ 
ened,  nor  fallen  into  any  sin,  nor  from  any 
attainment.  Who  then  will  limit  the  Holy 
One  of  Israel,  but  those  who  deny  that  it  is 
not  possible  with  him  to  renew  and  save  the 
vilest  sinner,  and  the  greatest  apostate?  Mer¬ 
ciful  Father,  wilt  thou  not  heal  our  back- 
slidings  and  love  us  freely?  Wilt  thou  not 
revive  us  again  that  we  may  rejoice  in  thee: 
show  us  thy  mercy  and  grant  us  thy  salva¬ 
tion? 

The  objection  also  falls,when  we  see  that 
there  is  nothing  said  in  this  passage  or  any 
similar  one,  as  in  Ezek.  xviii.  2;  Pet.  xx° 
21,  but  what  may  be  said  of  or  found  in  the 
unregenerate.  They  are  enlightened;  so  are 
all  who  hear  the  gospel,  and  hence  have  no 
cloak  for  their  sin — they  are  partakers  of  the 
Holy  Ghost;  so  are  all  who  have  the  com¬ 
mon  influences,  or  the  extraordinary  gifts  of 
the  spirit,  by  which  they  have  prophesied, 

and  cast  cut  devils,  and  done  many  wonder- 

12 


130 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


ful  works,  yet  were  unregenerate.  (Mat.  vii. 
22,  23).  They  have  tasted  the  good  word 
of  God;  so  did  the  stony  ground  hearers, 
and  yet  had  no  root  in  themselves.  The 
terms — partakers  of  the  heavenly  gift,  and 
of  the  powers  of  the  world  to  come,  are  ex¬ 
pressions  doubtful  in  their  meaning,  and  so 
can  furnish  no  legitimate  argument.  Con¬ 
jecture  proves  nothing,  much  less  does  it 
prove  what  our  opponents  desire.  It  then 
seems  to  us  that  the  objection  vanishes,  and 
that  the  sinner  who  goes  astray,  even  with 
his  own  consent,  may  be  sought  out  by  the 
Great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep,  renewed  again 
to  repentance,  pardoned  and  brought  back 
with  rejoicing. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

RELIEF  OBTAINED. 

A  believing  discovery  of  pardon ,  is  the 
only  relief  for  an  awakened  sinner.  Vari¬ 
ous  are  the  expedients  to  which  men  resort 
to  relieve  their  distressed  souls  from  the 


RELIEF  OBTAINED. 


131 


burden  of  sin.  They  attempt  to  hide  them¬ 
selves  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  as  did 
Adam  among  the  trees  of  the  garden,  or 
like  Cain,  go  into  another  land  and  build  a 
city;  or  like  the  nations  after  the  flood, 
build  a  tower  whose  top  may  reach  unto 
heaven;  or  like  Saul,  reject  the  word  of  the 
Lord  and  have  recourse  to  witchery  and 
enchantment,  (clairvoyance,  etc.,)  for  which 
he  was  rejected  from  being  king,  ( 1  Sam. 
xv.  23);  or  like  Judas,  in  a  fit  of  despair, 
take  away  their  own  lives.  The  Israelites 
went  to  the  Assyrians  for  help,  (Hos.  xiv). 
The  heathen  torture,  lacerate  and  sacrifice 
themselves  to  appease  the  anger  of  their 
deities.  The  unfortunate  vassals  of  Popery 
do  penance,  take  many  a  long  and  weary 
pilgrimage,  and  submit  to  any  sacrifice  and 
debasement  that  may  be  required  by  the 
“  man  of  sin.”  Some  attempt  to  drown 
their  sorrow  by  the  intoxicating  bowl,  and 
scenes  of  revelry  and  debauchery.  They 
sacrifice  to  Bacchus,  the  god  of  wine,  chant¬ 
ing  their  silly  ode,  “drink  boys,  drink,  and 
drown  all  sorrow;”  others  resort  to  the  giddy 


132 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

whirlpool  of  pleasure,  and  vain  society,  and 
theatrical  plays;  they  invent  to  themselves 
instruments  of  music,  they  take  the  timbrel 
and  harp,  and  chant  to  the  sound  of  the  viol. 
Again,  some  make  an  external  reformation; 
perform  deeds  of  charity  and  benevolence; 
endow  some  religious  institution;  flatter 
themselves  that  they  are  as  good  as  their 
neighbors,  and  thus  go  about  to  establish 
their  own  righteousness,  by  which  they  ex¬ 
pect  to  atone  for  all  the  ills  they  have  done, 
and  so  obtain  heaven.  But  these  are  all 
devices  of  the  natural  man,  who,  enquiring 
wherewith  shall  I  come  before  the  Lord, 
expects,  by  his  own  merits,  to  appease  the 
Most  High,  and  pluck  the  crown  of  life 
from  Jehovah’s  hands.  By  these,  and  simi¬ 
lar  expedients,  their  minds  may  be  somewhat 
diverted  from  the  burden  of  their  souls,  but 
they  are  not  relieved.  The  burden  still 
remains.  All  these  are  indeed  miserable 
comforters,  and  broken  reeds  that  will  at 
last  pierce  them  through  with  many  sorrows. 
There  is  still  “  poison  in  the  drunkard’s  cup, 
and  worse  than  poignards  in  the  harlot’s 


RELIEF  OBTAINED. 


133 


embrace.”  Still  the  rankling  thorn  sticks 
fast  in  their  hearts,  and  their  wounds  bleed 
afresh  from  every  pore.  They  can  not  make 
amends  for  the  past,  nor  atone  for  the  pre¬ 
sent.  At  last,  renouncing  all  these  vain  helps, 
and  self  too, — that  oldest  and  foulest  idol, — 
they  cry,  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?  and 
never,  till  they  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  can  they  find  relief  and  salvation;  ne¬ 
ver,  till  they  apprehend,  by  faith,  the  mercy  of 
God  in  Christ  flowing  to  them  though  the 
chief  of  sinners,  can  they  find  rest  to  their  dis¬ 
tressed  souls.  Hence,  faith  and  repentance 
too,  and  confession  and  patience,  are  neces¬ 
sary  to  the  enjoyment  of  pardon,  and  to 
overcoming  the  obstacles  in  the  way  of  this 
enjoyment.  A  believing  discovery  of  pardon 
through  Jesus  Christ  removes  the  thorn  and 
burden,  and  gives  that  peace,  which  all  the 
expedients,  and  pleasures,  and  honors,  and 
riches,  and  powers  of  the  world,  can  never 
afford.  Being  justified  by  faith  we  have 
peace  with  God.  Take  for  example  the 
Philippian  jailor  trembling  and  enquiring 
what  must  I  do  to  be  saved  1  The  answer 
12* 


134 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


is,  not  to  try  any  of  the  above  or  similar 
expedients,  but  “  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  and  thou  shall  be  saved.”  Then  he 
rejoiced,  believing  in  God,  and  was  at  rest. 
Jesus  is  the  glorious  object  of  faith,  and  the 
word  of  Him  who  can  not  lie  is  the  ground 
of  faith.  We  believe  many  things  on  testi¬ 
mony,  and  here  we  believe  on  the  testimony 
of  God,  and  not  of  man,  nor  of  our  own 
senses.  Faith  is  the  gift  of  God,  expressed 
in  scripture  by  believing,  coming,  looking, 
eating,  resting  on  Christ.  “  Look  unto  me, 
and  be  ye  saved,”  says  he;  and  believing, 
we  reply,  “  Behold  we  come  unto  thee  for 
thou  art  the  Lord  our  God.”  He  that  be- 
lieveth  on  the  Son  of  God  hath  everlasting 
life.  Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no 
wise  cast  out,  says  Jesus;  and  he  that  eateth 
with  me  even  he  shall  live  by  me.  Coming 
to  Christ,  and  believing  on  him,  are  the 
same  thing,  and  in  coining  to  him  by  faith 
we  renounce  all  sin,  self  righteousness, 
houses,  lands,  and  all  that  would  hinder  us. 
We  can  not  serve  two  masters,  Christ  and 
Belial,  nor  “  stay  in  Sodom  and  set  foot  in 


RELIEF  OBTAINED.  135 

Zoar.”  But  in  coining  we  do  not  wait  till 
we  are  free  from  sin,  or  till  we  have  even 
“  renounced  the  love  of  it,”  for  then  we  • 
would  never  come  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
for  pardon.  But  we  come  as  we  are,  sin” 
ners,  and  at  the  same  time  renounce  all  sin, 
breaking  our  league  with  death  and  our 
agreement  with  hell.  Coming  and  renounC” 

o  o 

ing  are  inseparable,  as  the  sun  and  his  light. 
Believing  and  coming  are  the  same.  He 
that  cometh  to  me  shall  never  hunger,  and 
he  that  believeth  on  me  shall  never  thirst, 
(John  vi.  35).  But  faith  and  sense ,  or  the 
assurance  of  sense,  are  different  things.  We 
walk  by  faith,  not  by  sight  (2  Cor.  v.  7). 
Blessed  are  they  who  have  not  seen  and  yet 
believe.  Hence  that  may  be  believed  which 
is  not  seen,  felt  or  experienced.  Who  is 
among  you  that  feareth  the  Lord,  that  obey- 
eth  the  voice  of  his  servant,  that  walketh  in 
darkness,  and  hath  no  light?  Let  him  trust 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  stay  upon  his 
God  (Isa.  1.  10).  This  man  fears  the  Lord, 
and  obeys  the  voice  of  his  servant  and  is 
then  a  believer.  Abraham,  against  hope, 


136  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

believed  in  hope.  In  the  promise  of  a  son 
there  was  nothing  external  for  sense  to 
rest  on,  but  every  thing  to  oppose  it; 
yet  he  staggered  not  at  the  promise, 
through  unbelief,  but  was  strong  in  faith, 
giving  glory  to  God  and  being  fully  per¬ 
suaded  that  what  he  had  promised  he  was 
able  also  to  perform  (Rom.  iv.  IS,  21).  He 
was  fully  persuaded,  was  assured,  and  this 
assurance  which  belongs  to  the  nature  of 
saving  faith,  must  be  distinguished  from  the 
assurance  of  sense,  or  from  the  knowledge 
of  our  being  believers.  The  assurance  of 
faith  arises  from  “  the  single  view  of  what 
is  contained  in  the  word  of  promise,  but  the 
assurance  of  sense  arises  from  the  joint  view 
of  God’s  word  without  us  and  from  his  work 
within  us,”  from  the  Holy  Spirit  shining  on 
his  own  work  in  the  soul,  from  self  exami¬ 
nation,  and  the  marks  of  grace  in  our  hearts 
and  lives.  “  The  assurance  of  sense  is 
founded  on  evidences,  and  supposes  actual 
progress  in  holiness;”  the  assurance  of 
faith  is  founded  on  the  word  of  God 
Faith  and  doubts  are  antagonists,  yet  doubts 


RELIEF  OBTAINED. 


137 


and  complaints  of  desertion  and  of  pre¬ 
vailing  iniquity  may  be  in  the  believer. 
Zion  said,  the  Lord  hath  forsaken  me,  and 
my  Lord  hath  forgotten  me.  Iniquities  pre¬ 
vail  against  me,  says  David;  and  Jesus  said 
to  Peter,  0  thou  of  little  faith,  wherefore 
didst  thou  doubt  (Isa.  xlix.  14;  Ps.  lxv.  3; 
Mat.  xiv.  31)  ?  We  do  not  say  that  a  per¬ 
son  is  required  by  the  gospel,  “  in  the  first 
instance,  to  believe  that  Christ  died  for  him,” 
or  that  he  is  one  of  the  elect  and  pardoned, 
but  he  is  required  to  believe  that  the  gospel 
is  preached  to  him  and  Christ  therein  offered 
to  him  in  particular.  The  father  of  the 
child  cried  out  and  said  with  tears,  Lord,  I 
believe,  help  thou  mine  unbelief  (Mk.  ix.  24). 
To  you  is  the  word  of  this  salvation  sent; 
the  promise  is  to  you,  to  you  who  have  cru¬ 
cified  the  Lord  of  glory  (Acts  iii.  3G,  39). 
This  he  is  “  required  to  believe  while  yet  he 
has  no  sensible  evidence  that  Christ  is  his 
in  possession;”  required  to  believe  that 
Christ  is  made  sin  for  us,  delivered  for  our 
offences  and  raised  again  for  our  justifica¬ 
tion;  that  he  is  offered  to  sinners,  and  hence 


138 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

to  him,  a  sinner.  The  promise  of  pardon 
and  eternal  life  is  made  to  sinners  hearing 
the  gospel,  irrespective  of  age,  sex,  nation, 
condition  or  moral  worth;  made  to  sinners 
as  such  even  the  chief;  to  all  that  hear  it; 
to  the  stout  hearted  and  far  from  righteous¬ 
ness;  to  the  vilest  of  the  vile  (Isa.  xliii.  24, 
25;  xlvi.  12;  xlix.  6;  Ezk.  xxxvi.  26;  Jno. 
vi.  32,  33;  1st  Jno.  v.  11).  The  promise, 
or  the  gospel  is  broad  as  the  law.  But  the 
law  includes  all.  The  soul  that  sinneth  it 
shall  die;  cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth 
not  in  all  things  written  in  the  book  of  the 
law  to  do  them.  So  the  promise  of  the  gos¬ 
pel  is  to  all  sinners  44  not  as  having  expe¬ 
rienced  the  work  of  grace  in  them,  but  as 
destitute  of  it;”  to  the  stout  hearted  and  far 
from  righteousness;  to  the  outcasts  and  those 
that  are  ready  to  perish.  Then,  in  exercising 
the  direct  act  of  faith  on  the  promise  of 
pardon,  of  life  and  salvation,  we  do  not  wait 
for  any  recommendation  in  ourselves,  nor  for 
the  sensible  assurance  of  faith;  but  we  apply 
to  ourselves  Christ  and  salvation  made  over 
to  us  in  the  free,  unconditional  offer  of  the 


RELIEF  OBTAINED. 


139 


gospel,  and  this  faith  the  believer  exer» 
cises  even  “  under  a  sense  of  extreme  guilti¬ 
ness;”  though  destitute  and  undone  in  him¬ 
self  he  is  persuaded  that  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  he  has  righteousness;  that  he  is  the 
propitiation  for  his  sins,  and  that  his  blood 
will  cleanse  him  from  them  all,  be  they  ever 
so  great.  Zaccheus,  the  Samaritan  woman, 
the  Philippian  jailor,  and  the  thief  on  the 
cross,  are  instances  of  persons  pardoned 
without  previous  qualifications  recommend¬ 
ing  them  to  God’s  mercy.  None  need  wait 
till  he  experiences  the  work  of  the  spirit,  or 
some  good  qualifications  in  himself,  before 
he  applies  the  promises,  for  the  promise  is 
to  all  as  sinners,  and  “  all  genuine  experi¬ 
ence  of  the  work  of  grace  is  after  believing.” 
For  example,  a  king  promises  pardon  to  a 
rebel  or  to  a  class  of  rebellious  subjects,  and 
they,  trusting  in  his  word  do  not,  nor  are 
they  required  to  wait  till  they  experience 
some  good  in  themselves,  worthy  of  pardon, 
before  they  apply  the  promise,  and  receive 
the  benefit  of  it.  So  God,  the  King  of  kings, 
promises  his  rebellious  subjects  pardon  and 


140 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


eternal  life  through  his  Son,  and  those  that 
believe  his  word  of  promise  do  not  wait,  nor 
are  they  required  to  wait  till  they  experi¬ 
ence  some  good  in  themselves,  or  a  change 
of  heart  before  they  receive  and  apply  the 
proffered  blessings.  That  the  soul  be  re¬ 
lieved  from  fear  and  punishment,  it  is  neces¬ 
sary  that  ihe  application  of  the  gospel  be  as 
broad  and  particular  as  the  law  in  condemn¬ 
ing,  and  he  that  makes  the  application  says, 
Christ  is  my  righteousness,  iny  peace,  my 
hope,  my  all.  No  person  has  a  spiritual 
view  of  the  grace  and  mercy  of  God  in 
Christ,  who  does  not  see  them  extending  to 
himself  in  particular,  though  the  chief  of 
sinners  ;  and  such  only,  have  a  heart  to  mor¬ 
tify  sin  and  live  to  God.  Many  persons  dis¬ 
tressed  by  sin,  and  not  finding  in  themselves 
the  sensible  assurance  of  faith,  are,  under  a 
mistaken  view  of  the  gospel,  often  fearing 
to  appropriate  Christ  to  themselves.  But 
they  are  looking  for  the  fruit  of  faith  before 
they  believe— for  the  effect  before  the  cause. 
They  are  looking  to  something  within  them, 
and  not  to  the  word  of  promise,  for  a  war- 


RELIEF  OBTAINED.  141 

rant  to  receive  and  appropriate  Christ  Jesus* 
But  it  must  be  evident  that  it  is  not  our  ex¬ 
perience,  excellence,  condition  &c.  but  the 
free  gift  and  grant  of  Christ  in  the  gospel, 
that  gives  us  a  warrant  to  appropriate  him 
to  ourselves.  That,  would  be  to  subvert  the 
gospel  plan  of  salvation  ;  for,  if  we  could 
produce  this  excellence  in  us  before  coming 
to  Christ,  what  would  be  the  necessity  of 
coming  at  all,  and  would  we  not  thus  be  our 
own  saviour?  Then,  the  free  offer  of  Christ 
in  the  gospel,  is  our  warrant  to  receive  and 
appropriate  him  to  ourselves.  Our  excel¬ 
lence,  good  frames,  and  all  such  things  are 
naught  but  sand  and  stubble.  The  assurance 
of  faith  is  different  from  the  sensible  assur¬ 
ance ,  or  the  assurance  that  we  have  believed 
in  a  right  manner — that  Christ  is  already 
ours  in  possession.  The  former  may  exist 
without  the  latter,  which  may  be,  or  not  be, 
according  to  God’s  pleasure,  as  it  is  not  es¬ 
sential  to  our  interest  in  Christ,  or  to  pardon. 
Our  comfort  depends  on  it,  but  our  safety  does 
not.  Perhaps  it  will  not  do  to  be  entrusted 

with  it,  just  as  it  will  not  do  for  some  men  to 

13 


142 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


be  entrusted  with  their  wages,  till  their  time 
of  service  is  done.  A  true  believer  may  fol¬ 
low  God  long — perhaps  ten,  twenty  or  thirty 
years,  or  a  life  time,  before  he  obtains  the 
sensible  assurance  of  faith  and  pardon.  It 
may  cost  another  many  prayers  offered  up 
with  strong  crying  and  tears,  before  he  ob¬ 
tains  it.  By  the  raging  waves  of  temptation 
and  sin  he  is  driven  almost  from  the  anchor 
of  hope,  yet  he  still  cleaves  to  God  and  cries 
why  castest  thou  off  my  soul — why  hidest 
thou  thy  face  from  me,  I  am  afflicted  and 
ready  to  die  from  my  youth  up,  while  I  suffer 
thy  terrors  I  am  distracted  (Ps.  88).  Why 
hast  thou  forgotten  me,  wThy  go  I  mourning 
because  of  the  oppression  of  the  enemy  (Ps. 
42).  Strengthen  the  things  which  remain, 
that  are  ready  to  die.  A  person  may  have 
faith,  without  sense,  peace  and  joy,  as  they 
are  not  essential  to  salvation.  “Faith,  is  the 
spring  of  obedience.  Duties,  without  faith, 
are  legal — their  principle,  is  legal  fear — their 
end,  is  legal  righteousness — their  aim,  is  to 
quiet  conscience,  and  appease  God”  in  this 
way,  and  not  by  the  righteousness  of  his 


RELIEF  OBTAINED.  143 

own  beloved  Son.  Even  the  obedience  of 
faith,  must  not  be  brought  to  mingle  with 
Christ’s  righteousness.  Pardon,  through 
Christ,  must  be  accepted  as  a  free  gift,  and 
not  obtained,  partly  by  works,  as  a  price. 
We  must  believe  that  God,  for  Christ’s  sake, 
freely  pardons  all  our  sins,  and  then  go  on, 
in  active,  and  holy  obedience,  without  com¬ 
plaining,  as  did  Zion  and  Jacob — Why  hast 
thou  forgotten  me — my  way  is  hid  from  the 
Lord,  and  my  judgment  is  passed  over  from 
my  God.  It  is  not  complaints,  and  indo¬ 
lence,  and  desires,  but  great  exertion,  and 
diligence,  that,  under  the  divine  blessing, 
crowns  us  with  success.  The  kingdom  of 
heaven  suffereth  violence,  and  the  violent, 
take  it  by  force;  and  besides  this  giving  all 
diligence,  add  to  your  faith,  virtue  (Mat.  xi. 
12.  2  Pet.  i.  5). 

The  obstacles  to  be  overcome ,  require  this 
exertion  and  diligence.  These  arise  from  the 
inflexibility  of  the  divine  law  and  justice — 
from  the  enormity  of  sin — from  relapses  into 
sin — from  the  voice  of  conscience — from  a 
sense  of  ingratitude  for  great  favors  receiv- 


144 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

ed — from  unbelief — from  apprehensions  of 
temporal  judgments,  and  fears  of  being  ut¬ 
terly  cast  away — from  sins,  after  a  sense  of 
God’s  love  and  special  mercies — after  wan¬ 
derings,  after  vows,  and  engagements  to  du¬ 
ty.  They  arise  from  sins,  that  waste  the 
conscience,  and  bring  reproach  on  religion, 
and  that  are  committed  against  knowledge, 
light  and  love — from  afflictions,  that  seem  to 
be  peculiar  to  them,  as  the  loss  of  property, 
of  friends,  of  reputation,  and  from  presecu- 
tion — from  strong  corruptions,  and  indwell¬ 
ing  sin — love  of  the  world,  and  of  reputa¬ 
tion — from  the  temptations  of  Satan,  also, 
from  their  darkness  about  the  state  and  op¬ 
erations  of  their  souls,  for  they  complain, 
that  they  can  tell  neither  the  time  nor  place 
of  their  conversion;  and,  unless  a  man  be 
born  again,  he  can  not  enter  into  the  king¬ 
dom  of  God.  They  say,  this  evil  comes 
from  the  Lord,  why  should  we  wait  any  long¬ 
er  for  him — why  does  he  set  himself  in  bat¬ 
tle  array  against  us,  and  pursue  us  as  a  flea 
in  the  mountain,  or  a  leaf  driven  by  the 
wind — we  can  make  no  amends  for  the  past. 


RELIEF  OBTAINED. 


145 

and  must  give  up,  and  lie  down  in  our  shame, 
and  our  confusion  cover  us,  for  we  have  sin¬ 
ned  against  the  Lord  our  God,  we,  and  our 
fathers,  from  our  youth,  even  unto  this  day 
(Jer.  iii.  25).  All  these,  and  similar  obsta¬ 
cles,  true  lively  faith,  overcomes.  It  may 
be  shaken,  diminished,  interrupted,  and  small 
as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  but  it  can  not  be 
wholly  lost,  for  it  is  the  gift,  and  grace  of 
God,  which  he  will  nourish,  and  cherish,  to 
life  eternal.  When  in  lively  exercise,  it 
quickens  and  enlivens  our  duties — perfumes 
our  services — supports  in  trials,  and  gives 
hope  and  comfort  in  life  and  death— -rebukes 
anxiety  and  fear,  and  gives  joy  and  consola¬ 
tion,  in  the  midst  of  trouble  and  privation. 

It  enables  the  believer  to  say,  the  Lord  is  4 
my  shepherd,  I  shall  not  want.  Although 
the  fig  tree  shall  not  blossom,  neither  shall 
fruit  be  in  the  vines,  the  labor  of  the  olive 
shall  fail,  and  the  fields  shall  yield  no  meat, 
the  flock  shall  be  cut  off  from  the  fold,  and 
there  shall  be  no  herd  in  the  stalls,  yet  I  will 
rejoice  in  the  Lord,  I  will  joy  in  the  God  of 

my  salvation  (Hab.  iii).  This  believing  dis- 
13 * 


146 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


covery  of  pardon,  is  a  great  support  in  trials, 
and  some  have  had  the  assurance  and  com¬ 
fort  of  it:  as  David,  Job,  Paul  and  others. 
All  are  required  to  seek  it,  and  draw  near  to 
God,  in  the  full  assurance  of  faith,  (Heb.  x. 
22.)  but  through  sinful  indulgence,  sloth, 
and  living  so  far  from  God,  few  obtain  it, 
and  bring  forth  its  fruits,  which  are  love, 
joy,  peace,  and  even  readiness  to  suffer,  for 
Christ  and  his  cause.  It  appears  from  (Isa. 
1.  10.)  that  there  may  be  a  discovery  of  par¬ 
don,  when  there  is  no  sensible  assurance  of 
it.  Here,  the  person  is  described,  as  walk- 
lag,  or  continuing;  in  darkness,  yet  he  is  one, 
that  fears  the  Lord,  and  his  language  is,  that 
however  it  be  with  him,  there  is  pardon  for 
him  with  God,  and  I  will  not  let  him  go,  ex¬ 
cept  he  bless  me;  though  he  slay  me,  yet 
will  I  trust  in  him.  His  mountain  may  at 
one  time  stand  strong,  and  from  the  top  of 
Pisgah,  he  may  see  the  King  in  his  beauty, 
and  the  land  that  is  yet  far  off:  and,  at  an¬ 
other,  he  may  be  in  the  valley  of  desertion, 
mourning  without  the  sun.  Job  said,  I  know 
hat  my  Redeemer  liveth;  and  again,  0! 


RELIEF  OBTAINED. 


147 


that  I  knew  where  I  might  find  him- — 0  ! 
that  I  were  as  in  months  past — as  in  the 
days  when  God  preserved  me,  when  his  can¬ 
dle  shined  upon  ray  head,  and  when  by  his 
light,  I  walked  through  darkness  (Job  xix,25. 
xxiii,  3.  8.  9.  xxix,  2.  3).  Jesus  said,  this 
is  the  work  of  God,  that  ye  believe  on  him, 
whom  he  hath  sent — and  that  believing,  ye 
might  have  life  through  his  name  (John  vi, 
29.  xx,  31).  It  is  then,  our  duty  to  believe, 
and  all  that  “believe  in  pardon,  believe  it 
for  the  ends,  and  purposes,  for  which  God 
revealed  it;  and  he  revealed  it, that  in  grant¬ 
ing  pardon,  he  might  be  all  in  all,  and 
that  all,  might  be  by  grace — that  we  might 
have  a  new  foundation  for  obedience,  love 
and  gratitude — that  men  should  love,  be¬ 
cause  forgiven,  and  be  holy,  because  pardon¬ 
ed.”  Her  sins,  which  are  many,  are  forgiv¬ 
en,  for  she  loved  much;  but  to  whom  little 
is  forgiven,  the  same  loveth  little  (Luke  vii, 
47). 

But  for  receiving ,  and  enjoying  pardon , 
true  evangelical  repentance  is  necessary — 
that  saving  grace,  whereby  a  sinner,  out  of 


148 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


a  true  sight  and  sense  of  his  sin,  and  appre¬ 
hension  of  the  mercy  of  God  in  Christ,  doth, 
with  grief  and  hatred  of  his  sin,  turn  from 
it  unto  God,  with  full  purpose  of  heart,  and 
endeavor  after  new  obedience.  Except  ye 
repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish.  Repent¬ 
ance  is  not  the  meritorious  and  procuring 
cause  of  forgivness,  but  the  connecting  link,, 
or  cause,  and  is  inseparable  from  pardon  and 
eternal  life.  It  contains  contrition,  confess¬ 
ion,  and  conversion.  True  brokenness  of 
heart  for  sin,  as  offensive  to  God,  and  contra¬ 
ry  to  his  law,  is  essential  to  it,  and  this  is  a 
sacrifice,  God  will  not  despise  (Ps.  li,  17). 
While  the  penitent  further  exclaims,  against 
thee,  thee  only,  have  I  sinned,  and  done  this 
evil  in  thy  sight-— I  will  arise,  and  go  to  my 
father,  and  will  say  unto  him,  father,  I  have 
sinned  against  Heaven,  and  before  thee^ 
(Luke  xv).  He  resolved  and  went,  not  like 
Cain  and  Judas,  from  God,  but  to  him,*  leav¬ 
ing  his  dry  husks,  and  filthy  swine,  all  behind. 
The  tears  of  godly  sorrow,  are  not  all  dried 
up,  when  the  sin  that  caused  them,  is  forgiv¬ 
en  and  put  away:  but  it  is  a  continual  exer-* 


RELIEF  OBTAINED. 


149 


cise,  leading  the  penitent  to  weep  in  secret, 
for  his  own  sins,  and  the  sins  of  others,  be¬ 
cause  they  keep  not  God’s  law,  and  to  ex¬ 
claim,  “0  that  my  head  were  waters,  and 
mine  eyes  a  fountain  of  tears,  that  I  might 
weep  day  and  night,  for  the  slain,  of  the 
daughter  of  my  people,”  and  for  the  sin  of 
my  soul.  Surely  after  that  I  was  turned,  I 
repented,  and  after  that  I  was  instructed,  I 
smote  upon  my  thigh;  I  was  ashamed,  yea, 
were  confounded,  because  I  did  bear  the  re¬ 
proach  of  my  youth.  Then  thou  shalt  re¬ 
member  thy  ways  and  be  ashamed — that 
thou  mayest  remember,  and  be  confounded, 
and  never  open  thy  mouth  any  more,  because 
of  thy  shame,  when  I  am  pacified  toward 
thee,  for  all  that  thou  hast  done,  saith  the 
Lord  God.  (Jer.  ix,  1.  xxxi,  19.  Ezk.  xvi, 
61, 63).  Then  repent,  and  be  baptized, 
every  one  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins — Him  hath 
God  exalted,  with  his  right  hand,  to  be  a 
Prince  and  a  Saviour,  for  to  give  repentance 
to  Israel,  and  forgivness  of  sins  (Acts  ii,  3S. 
v,  31).  It  is  after  the  new  heart  is  given 


150 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


that  they  repent  and  weep,  because  of  sin 
(Ezk.  xxxvi,  26.31). 

Confession  also ,  is  not  only  necessary ,  but 
in  the  order  of  nature ,  goes  before  pardon. 
"When  the  Israelites  would  confess  their  sin, 
and  humble  their  hearts,  God  would  remem¬ 
ber  his  covenant  with  them  (Lev.  xxvi,  40- 
42).  He  that  covereth  his  sins,  shall  not 
prosper,  but  whoso  confesseth,  and  forsaketh 
them,  shall  have  mercy  (Prov.  xxviii,  13). 
Forsaking  is  absolutely  necessary,  for  it  is 
solemn  mockery  to  confess,  and  still  retain 
our  sins.  If  I  regard  iniquity  in  my  heart, 
the  Lord  will  not  hear  me,  we  must  lay  aside 
every  weight,  and  the  sin  which  does  so  easily 
beset  usor  we  can  not  run  the  Christian  race; 
we  must  part  with  every  sin,  though  dear  to 
us  as  a  right  hand  or  right  eye,  we  must  slay 
them  or  they  will  slay  us;  break  our  league 
with  death  and  our  agreement  with  hell.  If 
thy  right  eye  offend  thee,  pluck  it  out  and 
cast  it  from  thee;  for  it  is  profitable  for  thee 
that  one  of  thy  members  should  perish,  and 
not  that  thy  whole  body  should  be  cast  into 
hell;  and  if  thy  right  hand  offend  thee,  cut 


RELIEF  OBTAINED. 


151 


it  off  and  cast  it  from  thee,  for  it  is  profitable 
for  thee  that  one  of  thy  members  should 
perish,  and  not  that  thy  whole  body  should 
be  cast  into  hell.  (Matt,  v,  29,  30.)  When 
God  called  his  backslidden  people  to  return, 
because  he  is  merciful  and  will  not  keeP 
anger  forever,  he  said,  only  acknowledge 
thine  iniquity,  thus  intimating  that  on  ac¬ 
knowledgment  they  would  obtain  pardon. 
(Jer.  iii,  12,  13.)  Even  nature  teaches  this 
order  of  duty,  as  seen  in  the  case  of  David 
and  the  Prodigal.  I  said,  I  will  confess  my 
transgression  unto  the  Lord,  and  thou  for- 
gavest  the  iniquity  of  my  sin.  (Ps.  xxxii,5.) 
If  we  confess  our  sins,  he  is  faithful  and  just 
to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to  cleanse  us  from 
all  unrighteousness.  (1  John  i,  9.)  The 
confession  must  be  made  to  God,  or  to  mam 
or  to  both,  as  the  case  may  be.  If  the  olfence 
be  against  man  only,  the  confession  must  be 
to  him.  Confess  your  faults  one  to  another* 
If  against  God  only,  it  is  to  him  alone  we 
must  confess.  And  if  we  have  offended  both 
God  and  man,  confession  must  be  made  to 
both  the  offended  parties.  Confession  must 


152  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

also  be  public  or  private,  according  to  the 
nature  of  the  offence.  If  the  offence  be  pub¬ 
lic  the  confession  must  be  public,  but  if  it 
be  private,  the  confession  must  be  so;  and 
those  who  give  publicity  to  a  private  offence, 
act  the  part  of  slanderers.  No  law,  human 
or  divine,  requires  a  man  to  accriminate  him¬ 
self  ;  and  to  make  a  public  disclosure  of  his 
own  private  crimes,  which  from  their  nature 
would  not  disclose  themselves,  is  to  expose 
his  own  shame.  But  if  from  the  nature  of 
the  offence  it  will  become  public,  every  hon¬ 
est  man  will  freely  confess  his  sin.  In  this 
view  we  are  supported  by  Dr.  Dodridge, 
Rev.  E.  Erskine,  and  others.  The  general 
rule  for  private  offences,  is  “  If  thy  brother 
trespass  against  thee,  tell  him  his  fault  be¬ 
tween  thee  and  him  alone.  If  he  shall  hear 
thee  thou  hast  gained  thy  brother.  But  if 
he  will  not  hear  thee,  then  take  with  thee 
one  or  two  more,  that  in  the  mouth  of  two 
or  three  witnesses  every  word  may  be  estab¬ 
lished;  and  if  he  neglect  to  hear  them,  tell 
it  to  the  Church;  but  if  he  neglect  to  hear 
the  Church,  let  him  be  unto  thee  as  an 


RELIEF  OBTAINED. 


153 


heathen  man,  and  as  a  publican.  (Mat. 
xviii,  15,  17.)  But  the  confession  must  be 
free  without  constraint — full  without  reserve, 
It  must  be  particular  and  ingenuous.  Against 
thee,  thee  only  have  I  sinned,  and  done  this 
evil  in  thy  sight.  Pardon  mine  iniquity,  for 
it  is  great.  If  any  say  I  have  sinned  and 
perverted  that  which  was  right,  and  it  profit¬ 
ed  me  not;  he  will  deliver  his  soul  from 
going  into  the  pit,  and  his  life  shall  see  the 
light.  (Job  xxxiii,  27,  28.) 

It  is  necessary  for  those  who  believe  there 
is  forgiveness  for  them  with  God,  but  who 
have  not  yet  a  sense  of  their  interest  in  it, 
still  to  wait  on  Him .  This  waiting  includes 
patience,  quietness,  and  diligence  in  the  use 
of  means,  and  epxectation  in  opposition  to 
distrust  and  despair.  The  means  are,  reading 
the  word,  meditation  and  prayer,  the  dispen¬ 
sation  of  ordinances,  mortification  of  sin  and 
religious  conference.  As  iron  sharpeneth 
iron,  so  doth  the  face  of  a  man  his  friend. 
If,  on  the  eruption  of  old  sins  or  new  lusts, 
and  a  perplexing  sense  of  guilt,  and  burden 
of  sin,  you  say,  We  wait  for  light,  but  behold 
14 


I 


154  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

obscurity ;  for  brightness,  but  we  walk  in  dark¬ 
ness;  we  looked  for  peace  and  there  is  no 
good,  for  the  time  of  healing,  and  behold 
trouble;  the  harvest  is  past,  the  summer  is 
ended,  and  we  are  not  saved;  and  thus  give 
up  waiting,  you  may  expect  to  fail.  (Isa. 
lix,  9;  Jer.  xiv,  19.)  Or,  if  through  pre¬ 
vailing  iniquity  after  a  season  of  obedience 
you  are  overcome  by  the  same  or  similar 
sins  you  had  forsaken,  you  give  up  and  say 
it  is  in  vain  to  contend  any  more,  all  is  lost 
and  gone,  I  have  labored  in  vain,  I  have 
spent  my  strength  for  nought  and  in  vain,  I 
shall  one  day  fall  totally  and  finally,  by  the 
hand  of  mine  enemy,  the  same  result  may  be 
expected:  for  it  is  distrusting  God’s  promise 
and  power  to  save.  Perhaps  you  have  not 
yet  resisted  unto  blood,  striving  against  sin. 
Job  and  Jonah  and  the  Church  complained^ 
but  still  adhered  to  God  and  recovered.  They 
said  it  is  good  unto  thee  that  thou  shouldst 
oppress,  that  thou  shouldst  despise  the  work 
of  thine  hands,  and  shine  upon  the  counsel 
of  the  wicked,  for  now  thou  numberest  my  ' 
steps,  dost  thou  not  'watch  over  my  sin 


/ 


RELIEF  OBTAINED.  155 

Also  when  I  cry  and  shout  he  shutteth  out 
my  prayer.  My  strength  and  my  hope  are 
perished  from  the  Lord.  Thou  hast  covered 
thyself  with  a  cloud,  that  our  prayers  should 
not  pass  through.  (Job.  x,  3,  14,  16;  Lam. 
iii,  8,  18,  44.)  Then  I  said  I  am  cast  out 
of  thy  sight,  yet  will  I  look  again  toward 
thy  holy  temple.  (Jonah  ii,  4.)  The  lat¬ 
ter  part  of  this  verse  shows  that  the  true 
believer  will  not  give  up  even  when  cast  out 
of  God’s  sight — when  all  evidence  of  sense 
fails,  he  will  still  hold  on  his  way  and  endure 
to  the  end,  waiting  God’s  time,  which  is  the 
best.  He  that  believeth  shall  not  make  haste. 
Though  he  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  him. 
My  soul  wait  thou  only  upon  God,  for  my 
expectation  is  from  him.  In  the  morning 
will  I  direct  my  prayer  unto  thee,  and  will 
look  up,  waiting  and  expecting  an  answer. 
Like  a  merchant  whose  goods  are  yet  on  a 
foreign  shore,  his  inheritance  may  yet  be  in 
a  foreign  land,  but  he  watches  every  gale  of 
the  spirit,  examines  all  evidences,  and  finding 
them  in  his  favor,  though  his  treasure  is  not 
yet  in  actual  possession,  he  rejoices  to  find 


156 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

that  it  is  safe.  He  takes  joyfully  the  spoil¬ 
ing  of  his  goods,  knowing  that  in  heaven  he 
has  a  better  and  an  enduring  substance.  He 
does  not  entertain  hard  thoughts  against  God, 
for  these  would  alienate  his  heart  from  him. 
He  remembers  that  God  is  sovereign,  and 
infinitely  wise,  and  says,  I  will  bear  the  in¬ 
dignation  of  the  Lord,  because  I  have  sinned 
against  him,  until  he  plead  my  cause  and  ex¬ 
ecute  judgment  for  me.  He  will  bring  me 
forth  to  the  light,  and  I  shall  behold  his 
righteousness.  (Mic.  vii,  9.)  The  great 
difficulty  with  many  is,  that  in  their  estimation, 
their  sins  are  so  numerous,  and  so  great,  and 
so  aggravated, that  they  can  not  be  forgiven. 
But  let  such  remember  that  God  is  plenteous 
and  abundant  in  mercy — that  there  is  mercy 
with  him  to  suit  the  case  of  the  greatest 
sinner.  He  has  promised  to  redeem  Israel 
from  all  his  iniquities.  (Ps.  cxxx;  Jer* 
xxxiii,  S.)  The  promise  is  universal,  and  it 
is  sure.  The  evidence  of  pardon  might  be 
abused  ,  by  us,  as  temporal  mercies  are  by 
many,  and  for  this  reason  withheld  from 
God’s  people,  lest  they  would  be  their  ruin. 


RELIEF  OBTAINED. 


157 


Riches  are  often  kept  for  men  to  their  hurt; 
wisdom  and  high  places  are  the  ruin  of 
many;  liberty  has  proved  a  snare;  prosperity 
slays  the  foolish;  luxury,  riot,  pride,  profan¬ 
ity,  intemperance,  oppression  and  atheism 
are  the  fruits  of  affluence.  “  Gold  glitters 
most  where  virtue  shines  no  more,”  and 
many  think  it  gives  moral  worth  and  a  passport 
to  heaven.  There  is  so  much  of  the  pharisee 
about  us,  that  a  sensible  evidence  of  pardon 
t{  might  degenerate  into  self-righteousness} 
and  be  set  down  as  a  part  of  our  justification ;” 
and  for  this  reason  is  withheld  that  we  may 
wait  on  God  for  daily  supplies,  as  the  Israel¬ 
ites  did  for  manna  from  heaven.  Then  it  is 
our  duty  to  wait  till  he  send  relief  as  did  the 
Church,  knowing  that  the  work  of  righteous¬ 
ness  shall  be  peace,  and  the  effect  of  right¬ 
eousness  quietness  and  assurance  forever. 
(Isa.  xxxii,  17.)  One  experimental  embrace 
of  an  interest  in  Christ,  though  not  till  the 
hour  of  death,  is  well  worth  waiting  for  all 
our  life;  and  it  shall  be  said  in  that  day,  Lo 
this  is  our  God,  we  have  waited  for  Him,  and 
he  will  save  us.  This  is  the  Lord,  we  have 
14* 


15S  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

waited  for  him,  we  will  be  glad  and  rejoice 
in  his  salvation.  (Isa.  xxv,  9.)  Yea,  in 
the  way  of  thy  judgments,  O  Lord,  have  we 
waited  for  thee.  The  desire  of  our  souls  is 
to  thy  name,  and  to  the  remembrance  of 
thee.  Now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart 
in  peace  according  to  thy  word,  for  mine 
eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation.  (Isa.  xxvi, 
S ;  Luke,  ii,  29,  30.)  0,  here  is  joy  unspeak¬ 
able  and  full  of  glory.  Whatever  then  may 
befall  the  believer,  all  things  shall  work 
together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God. 
They  that  wait  upon  the  Lord  shall  renew 
their  strength;  and  it  is  their  duty  to  rest  in 
the  Lord,  and  wait  patiently  for  him,  with¬ 
out  complaining.  “  Thou  hast  removed  my 
soul  far  off  from  peace;  I  forgat  prosperity, 
and  I  said  my  strength  and  my  hope  is  per¬ 
ished  from  the  Lord,  remembering  mine  af¬ 
fliction  and  my  misery,  the  wormwood  and 
the  gall,  my  soul  hath  them  still  in  remem¬ 
brance,  and  is  troubled  in  me.  This  I  call  to 
mind,  therefore  have  I  hope.  It  is  of  the 
Lord's  mercies  that  we  are  not  consumed, 
because  his  compassions  fail  not;  they  are 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON. 


159 


new  every  morning;  great  is  thy  faithful” 
ness;  the  Lord  is  my  portion  saith  my  soul, 
therefore  will  I  hope  in  him.  The  Lord  is 
good  unto  them  that  wait  for  him,  to  the  soul 
that  seeketh  him.  It  is  good  that  a  man 
should  both  hope  and  quietly  wait  for  the  sal¬ 
vation  of  the  Lord.  (Lam.  iii,  17,26.)  For 
the  vision  is  yet  for  an  appointed  time,  but 
at  the  end  it  shall  speak  and  not  lie,  though 
it  tarry,  wait  for  it,  because  it  will  surely 
come,  it  will  not  tarry.”  (Hab.  ii,  3.) 


CHAPTER  VII. 

EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON. 

The  great  inquiry  of  the  awakened  and 
anxious  sinner  remains  yet  to  be  answered. 
He  not  only  enquires,  is  there  pardon  for  sin¬ 
ners,  but  is  there  pardon  for  him.  His 
language  is,  I  am  now  satisfied  that  there  is 
forgiveness  with  God,  and  plenteous  redemp- 


160 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

t 

lion  is  ever  found  with  him.  Jesus  is  able 
to  save  to  the  uttermost,  but  have  I  an  in- 
terest  in  the  salvation  he  has  wrought  out 
and  brought  in,  for  if  not,  it  will  be  of  no  avail 
to  me  to  know  this,  unless  to  enhance  my 
misery.  A  great  estate  is  bequeathed  to 
men,  but  unless  I  am  among  the  legatees  it 
profits  me  nothing.  There  is  an  inheritance 
incorruptible,  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not 
away,  and  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to 
have  a  clear  title  to  it.  All  men  are  in  a 
state  of  nature  or  of  grace.  The  one  is  a 
state  of  death,  the  other  of  life;  the  one  o^ 
darkness  the  other  of  light;  the  one  of  en¬ 
mity,  the  other  of  love;  and  we  must  be 
born  again — born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit 
or  we  can  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 
But  we  do  not  know  assuredly  that  we  are 
born  again — can  not  tell  the  time  and  place 
of  this  birth,  and  as  sin  still  cleaves  to  us, 
we  fear  that  we  are  still  in  a  state  of  nature 
without  a  title  to  pardon  and  eternal  life. 
But,  my  friend,  you  may  not  be  able  to  tell 
the  time,  place  and  manner ,  of  your  natural 
pirth,  and  are  you  not  then  afraid  that  you 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON. 


161 


were  never  born  ?  Moreover  as  this  igno¬ 
rance  does  not  affect  your  natural  existence, 
so  neither  does  it  affect  the  reality  of  your 
spiritual  existence,  to  be  unable  to  tell  the 
time ,  place  apd  manner  of  your  conversion. 
The  existence  of  the  natural  man  is  known 
by  his  actions ,  so  the  existence  of  the  spirit¬ 
ual  man  is  known  by  his  operations.  Some 
are  sanctified  from  the  womb,  as  Jeremiah; 
others  are  gradually  renewed  by  the  still, 
small  voice  of  the  gospel,  and  the  mysterious 
operations  of  the  Spirit  and  grace  in  the 
soul,  and  may  not  be  able  to  mark  any  change 
in  their  life, unless  that  they  know  that  whereas 
they  were  blind,  now  they  see.  Others  are 
suddenly  arrested  in  a  course  of  sin,  and  may 
easily  tell  the  time  and  place  of  their  conver¬ 
sion.  But  the  general  evidence  is  their  con¬ 
duct.  44  Ye  shall  know  them  by  their  fruits. 
Do  men  gather  grapes  of  thorns,  or  figs  of 
thistles.  Even  so  every  good  tree  bringeth 
forth  good  fruit,  but  a  corrupt  tree  bringeth 
forth  evil  fruit.  A  good  tree  can  not  bring 
forth  evil  fruit,  neither  can  a  corrupt  tree 
bring  forth  good  fruit.  Wherefore  by  their 


162 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

fruits  ye  shall  know  them.  (Matt,  vii.)  But 
we  are  not  to  look  for  absolute  evidence  to 
the  exclusion  of  all  doubts  and  cause  of  self- 
examination.  Sin  and  unbelief  will  stiU 
abide  in  the  best  of  men,  and  work  against 
the  principle  of  grace — a  constant  warfare 
will  be  going  on,  in  which  the  victory  some¬ 
times  seems  doubtful.  Nor  must  we  look  for 
an  extraordinary  evidence  by  the  testimony 
of  the  Spirit.  The  nature  of  that  evidence 
is  not  well  understood,  and  about  it  men  dif¬ 
fer  in  their  views.  If  we  have  ever  received 
a  special  testimony  by  the  Spirit,  even  of  our 
sincerity,  it  is  our  duty  to  retain  it  with  grat¬ 
itude,  or  if  lost,  to  endeavor  to  recover  a 
sense  of  it  again,  for  support  in  time  of 
darkness  and  trial.  God  may  give  a  secret 
intimation  of  his  love  and  acceptance  or  he 
may  shine  immediately  into  the  soul.  These 
intimations  are  generally  transient,  like  the 
glimmering  of  light  in  some  obscure  place, 
and  should  be  treasured  up  for  time  of  need, 
that  in  trouble  we  may  remember  those 
precious  seasons  when  God  shone  upon  our 
^ouls,  and  we  apprehended  his  mercy,  ex- 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON.  16S 

tending  through  Christ  to  us  though  the  chief 
of  sinners. 

But  to  come  to  particulars.  Purity  of  hear^ 
and  life  is  an  evidence  of  pardon.  Blessed 
are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see  God- 
Every  man  that  hath  this  hope  purifieth  him¬ 
self  even  as  he  is  pure;  and  God  purifies 
their  hearts  by  faith.  To  their  eye,  holiness 
is  more  beautiful  than  the  purling,  silvery 
stream,  or  the  glory  of  the  azure  firmament, 
and  next  to  the  divine  glory,  they  pursue 
it  as  indispensable  to  seeing  the  Lord,  They 
may  yet  have  no  sensible  evidence  of  this 
purity,  but  their  constant  and  earnest  desire 
to  obtain  it,  is  rather  an  argument  in  favor 
of  its  present  existence  in  the  soul,  encotir- 
aging  them  to  believe  that  God  will,  in  due 
time,  hear  and  fulfill  their  utmost  desire,  as 
he  does  the  poor  and  needy,  that  seek  and 
thirst  for  water,  when  there  is  none.  (Isa. 
xli,  17.)  Many  things  counteract  and  weak¬ 
en  this  evidence  especially  the  remains  ol 
depravity,  warring  to  their  heart  sorrow 
against  the  law  of  their  mind.  Since  it  is 
written,  they  that  are  Christ’s  have  crucified 


164 


FAKDON  OF  SIN. 


the  flesh  with  the  affections  and  lusts,  many 
think  there  should  not  be  a  vestige  of  that 
depravity  which  excites  to  every  sin,  and  at¬ 
tempts  to  hinder  and  defile  every  duty.  But 
finding  it  still  within  them,  and  forgetting 
that  they  are  only  partially  sanctified,  till  the 
close  of  natural  life,  when  they  are  made 
perfect  in  holiness,  and  immediately  pass 
into  glory,  they  are  often  greatly  troubled, 
they  often  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  there 
are  two  principles  in  the  believer,  as  there  is 
in  the  Shulamite  a  company  of  two  armies; 
the  flesh  lusting  against  the  spirit,  and  the 
spirit  against  the  flesh;  and  these  are  con¬ 
trary  the  one  to  the  other,  so  that  ye  can  not 
do  the  things  ye  would.  I  see,  says  Paul, 
another  law  in  my  members,  warring  against 
the  law  of  my  mind,  and  bringing  me  into 
captivity  to  the  law  of  sin.  Here  there  is  a 
warfare  which  commences  with  the  new 
birth,  and  terminates  only  with  death,  when 
the  believer  is  more  than  conqueror,  through 
Jesus  Christ;  and  your  state  is  to  be  mea¬ 
sured  not  so  much  by  the  opposition  of 
sin  to  you,  as  by  your  opposition  to  it. 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON.  165 

Is  this  sincere,  constant,  determined,  leading 
you  to  resist  unto  blood,  striving  against  sin, 
or  is  it  the  reverse  ?  If  this  conflict  is  going 
on  in  you,  what  is  it  that  gives  you  trouble, 
and  makes  you  complain  of  the  burden  of 
sin  ?  Is  it  not  the  principle  of  grace,  strug¬ 
gling  against  the  principle  of  depravity  and 
sin,  because  it  is  so  hateful  and  loathsome  to 
you,  in  view  of  all  that  God  is  doing  and 
has  done  for  you,  as  a  sinner  ?  Is  there  any 
such  struggle  and  conflict  in  the  unregenerate 
who  are  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins  ?  Might 
we  not  as  well  think  to  hear  the  dead  com¬ 
plain  of  pain,  as  to  hear  the  unrenewed 
sinner  complain  of  sin  ?  We  do  not  look 
for  perfection,  or  perfect  purity,  till  sanctifi¬ 
cation  is  completed  by  its  divine  Author. 
But,  as  the  needle  inclines  to  the  pole,  so  we 
look  for  purity  to  prevail,  inclining  the  soul 
to  God,  in  his  nature,  will,  and  ordinances, 
and  making  the  path  of  the  just  shine  brighter 
and  brighter,  like  the  natural  day,  from  the 
taint  dawn  of  the  morning  to  its  meridian 
splendor.  Paul,  after  having  been  caught  up 
in  a  vision,  to  the  third  heavens,  did  not  con 
15 


I 


166 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


sider  himself  already  perfect,  but  pressed  on 
toward  the  mark,  for  the  prize  of  the 
high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus.  So 
it  is  with  the  true  Christian,  who,  lean¬ 
ing  on  the  Beloved  of  his  soul,  goes 
up  through  the  wilderness  of  this  world, 
perfecting  holiness  in  the  fear  of  God,  till  he 
arrives  at  the  portals  of  bliss,  enters  into  the 
joy  of  his  Lord,  drinks  of  the  river  of  water 
of  life,  that  proceeds  out  of  the  throne  of 
God  and  of  the  Lamb,  and  bathes  in  an  ocean 
of  glory  forever  and  ever.  Now  his  conver¬ 
sation  is  from  heaven,  and  as  becometh  the 
gospel.  No  filthy  communication  proceeds 
out  of  his  mouth,  but  that  which  is  good  to 
the  use  of*  edifying,  that  it  may  minister 
grace  to  the  hearers.  That  his  religion  may 
not  be  vain,  he  bridles  his  tongue,  and  keeps 
his  heart  with  all  diligence,  for  out  of  it  are 
the  issues  of  life,  and  his  speech  bewrays 
him.  He  is  renewed  in  heart  and  purged 
from  his  old  sins,  so  that  he  can  enter  heaven 
by  the  strait  gate,  which  is  too  narrow  to 
admit  any  with  unmortihed  lusts.  But  while 
imperfection  remains,  he  is  fallible,  incon- 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON.  167 

stant,  and  liable  to  decay — to  be  guilty  of 
actual  sin,  and  to  grieve  the  Spirit — and  God 
never  intended  that  any  should  retain  their 
confidence,  and  sin  at  the  same  time.  The 
assurance  that  sin  will  not  shake,  does  not 
deserve  the  name.  But  “  the  soul  has  not 
ceased  to  do  with  sin;  the  saint  traverses  a 
battle  field  to  his  rest  only  with  much  con¬ 
flict,  many  wounds,  many  stumbles,  occa¬ 
sional  overthrows.  His  course  is  for  the 
most  part,  that  of  a  victor.  Around  the  soul 
on  earth,  there  is  a  body  of  death,  wisely 
left  to  try  and  purify  it,  but  it  is  there  only 
by  protest;  it  is  not  welcome.  Duties  are 
mixed  with  sin,  but  an  outside  performance 
will  satisfy  only  an  outside  Christian.”  But 
like  the  river  to  the  ocean,  widening  and 
deepening,  and  flowing  with  incredible 
smoothness,  as  it  approaches  the  end,  so  the 
believer’s  course  is  onward  and  heavenward? 
increasing  in  holiness,  righteousness  and 
peace,  as  he  advances  nearer  his  eternal  rest. 
His  affections  are  set  on  things  above, where 
Christ  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  and 
where  his  utmost  desires  for  holiness  will  be 


168  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

fully  anti  forever  gratified.  What  a  contras* 
is  there  between  him  and  the  unrenewed  man, 
whose  heart  is  like  the  vineyard  of  the  slug¬ 
gard,  all  grown  over  with  thorns,  and  nettles 
have  covered  the  face  thereof,  and  like  mys¬ 
tical  Babylon,  which  is  become  the  habita¬ 
tion  of  devils,  and  the  hold  of  every  foul 
spirit,  and  a  cage  of  every  unclean  and 
hateful  bird;  wallowing  in  the  filth  and  mire 
of  sin,  his  thoughts  are  unclean,  sensual, 
worldly,  devilish.  His  filthy  conversation, 
like  a  pestilence,  every  where  spreads  moral 
disease  and  death,  and  his  whole  life  is  a 
tissue  of  cherished  sin,  in  which  he  delights 
as  most  congenial  to  his  unrenewed  nature. 

Those  that  are  forgiven  will  love  God  and 
all  that  'pertains  to  him.  How  can  it  be  other¬ 
wise  ?  How  can  those  who  have  received 
such  an  unspeakable  blessing  as  pardon,  ever 
cease  to  love  him,  who,  in  the  greatness  of 
his  mercy,  has  granted  it.  It  is  a  principle 
both  of  nature  and  of  grace,  that  w’e  love  a 
kind  benefactor.  A  slave  will  greatly  love 
*he  man  who  freely  gives  him  his  liberty. 
A  debtor  spontaneously  loves  and  celebrates 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON.  169 

the  beneficence  of  one  that  has  freely  forgiven 
him  a  great  debt;  so  the  sinner  can  never 
cease  to  love  and  adore  God,  who  freely  for¬ 
gives  him  the  enormous  debt  of  sin,  which 
he  could  never  pay,  and  who  brings  him  from 
the  slavery  of  sin  and  Satan,  into  the  glori¬ 
ous  liberty  of  his  children.  The  song  of  the 
redeemed  is  unto  Him  that  loved  us,  and 
washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood. 
To  him  be  glory  and  dominion  forever  and 
ever.  Mary  Magdalene,  who  washed  the 
Saviour’s  feet  with  tears,  and  kissed  and 
anointed  them,  loved  much,  because  her 
sins,  which  were  many,  were  forgiven  her. 
This  is  true  of  all  that  are  forgiven.  The  lan¬ 
guage  of  their  hearts  is,  we  love  him  because 
he  first  loved  us,  and  has  given  us  the  clearest 
possible  manifestation  of  his  love,  in  the  un¬ 
speakable  gift  of  his  own  dear  Son.  Lan¬ 
guage  fails  to  express  the  length  and  breadth, 
the  depth  and  height  of  this  divine  love, 
lasting  long  as  eternity;  extending  wide  as 
the  world,  stooping  low  as  hell,  and  exalting  * 
high  as  heaven.  With  reference  to  it,  the 
apostle  exclaims,  herein  is  love,  not  that  we 
15* 


170 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


loved  God,  but  that  he  loved  us,  and  hath 
sent  his  son  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our 
sins.  Even  apart  from  what  God  has  done 
in  forgiving  us,  he  is  worthy  of  our  supreme, 
undivided  and  unceasing  love.  No  perfec¬ 
tion  of  his  nature  is  set  forth  like  this.  As 
if  it  were  the  soul  of  all  the  rest,  it  is  said 
“  God  is  love”  and  taking  this  into  the  ac¬ 
count  with  what  he  has  done  for  us,  in  the 
gift  of  his  Son,  and  salvation  by  him,  we 
exclaim  with  the  psalmist,  I  love  the  Lord  be¬ 
cause  he  hath  heard  my  voice  and  my  sup¬ 
plications;  because  he  hath  delivered  my  soul 
from  the  lowest  hell.  (Ps.  116.)  I  love  him 
more  than  all  heaven  and  earth  contain — 
more  than  house,  or  brethren,  or  sisters,  or 
father,  or  mother,  or  wife,  or  children,  or 
lands  or  life  itself.  I  count  all  things  but 
loss  for  Christ,  and  my  life  not  dear  that  I 
may  win  Christ,  and  be  found  in  him  without 
spot  or  blemish,  at  his  appearing  and  glory. 
I  love  God  with  all  my  heart,  soul,  mind  and 
'  strength,  and  would  manifest  it  by  constantly 
endeavoring  to  glorify  him  with  my  body 
and  spirit — by  reverence  and  devotion  to  him 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON. 


171 


■ — by  keeping  his  commandments  out  of  a 
pure  heart,  and  faith  unfeigned — by  a  con¬ 
stant,  and  faithful,  and  grateful  observance, 
of  the  public  and  private  ordinances  of  grace, 
■where  the  soul  is  refreshed  and  made  like  a 
watered  garden,  and  like  a  spring  of  water, 
whose  waters  fail  not — by  liberally  support¬ 
ing,  by  all  lawful  and  available  means,  the 
kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  a  great  rev¬ 
enue  of  glory  may  redound  to  God  in  our 
salvation,  and  in  the  salvation  of  millions  of 
our  fallen  race.  The  goodness  of  God  lead- 
eth  thee  to  repentance — the  love  of  Christ 
constraineth  us — -our  evil  is  overcome  by  di-% 
vine  goodness.  He  loves  God  with  all  his 
heart,  and  his  neighbor  as  himself.  He  loves 
God’s  people  and  word  and  ordinances ,  and 
thus  has  an  evidence  of  forgiveness.  We 
know  that  we  have  passed  from  death  unto 
life,  because  we  love  the  brethren.  He  that 
loveth  not  his  brother,  abideth  in  death,  for 
he  that  loveth  not  his  brother,  whom  he  hath 
seen,  how  can  he  love  God,  whom  he  hath 
not  seen.  (1  Jno.  iii,  14 i v,  20.)  By  this, 
says  Christ,  shall  all  men  know  that  ye  are 


172 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


my  disciples,  if  ye  have  love  one  to  another. 
(Jno.  13,  35.)  Love  to  God,  and  the  breth¬ 
ren  are  convertible  terms.  Where  love  to 
the  one  exists,  love  to  the  other  exists  also; 
and  for  the  sincerity  of  it,  they  can  some¬ 
times  adopt  the  language  of  Peter,  when  in¬ 
terrogated  on  this  subject;  Lord,  thou  know- 
est  all  things;  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee. 
This  love  is  not  confined  to  sect,  or  party, 
or  nation,  or  to  the  gold  ring,  and  goodly 
apparel,  or  to  names  and  “flattering  titles  ” 
(Job.  xxxii,  22),  and  adventitious  circum¬ 
stance  —  the  generating  principles  of  love, 
and  partiality,  and  favoritism,  too  manifest 
in  this  day  of  declension,  when  the  love  of 
many  has  waxed  cold,  and  parity  among 
brethren,  even  of  the  Presbyterian  name, 
appears  no  greater  than  it  did  in  the  Aaron- 
ical  priesthood;  but  it  extends  to  the  whole 
Christian  fraternity,  where,  in  the  judg¬ 
ments  of  charity,  we  have  reason  to  believe 
the  image  of  Christ  is  found;  “for  those 
who  confine  their  love  to  a  sect  or  party,  to 
whom  God  has  not  confined  his  grace,  are 
souls  too  narrow  to  be  put  among  the  chil- 


\ 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON.  173 

dren.”  (Boston.)  The  true  Christian  loves 
not  in  word,  neither  in  tongue,  but  in  deed 
and  in  truth,  and  proves  this  by  impartial 
acts  of  kindness,  of  regard,  and  of  mercy, 
for  which  he  will  receive  a  glorious  reward. 
Whosoever  shall  give  to  drink  unto  one  of 
these  little  ones,  a  cup  of  cold  water  only, 
in  the  name  of  a  disciple,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  he  shall  in  no  wise  lose  his  reward. 
(Matt,  x,  42.)  Yea,  he  loves  all  men,  and 
prays  for  his  spiteful,  cursing,  persecuting 
enemies.  (Matt,  v,  44.)  Time  was  when 
an  enemy  could  say  of  Christians,  behold 
how  they  Jove  one  another.  Then  all  men 
might  know  that  they  were  the  disciples  of 
the  Lord  Jesus.  How  simple  and  plain  is 
this  evidence  by  which  every  one,  however 
feeble  in  intellect,  or  limited  in  attainment, 
may  try  himself,  and  see  if  he  has  reason  to 
believe  that  his  sins  are  forgiven.  Does  he 
in  deed,  and  in  truth,  love  the  brethren  of 
our  Lord  and  Saviour  merely  because  they 
bear  his  divine  image?  He  also  loves  the 
word ,  and  ordinances ,  and  house  of  God, 
with  reference  to  which  his  language  is,  0 


174  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

how  I  love  thy  law;  it  is  my  meditation  all 
the  day.  I  love  thy  commandments  above 
gold,  yea,  abofe  fine  gold;  how  sweet  are 
thy  words  unto  my  taste,  yea,  sweeter  than 
honey  to  my  mouth.  The  law  of  thy  mouth 
is  better  unto  me,  than  thousands  of  gold 
and  silver.  I  will  keep  thy  statutes;  thy 
word  have  I  hid  in  my  heart,  that  I  might 
not  sin  against  thee.  How  amiable  are  thy 
tabernacles  0  Lord  of  hosts.  My  soul  long- 
eth,  yea,  even  fainteth,  for  the  courts  of  the 
Lord,  for  a  day  in  thy  courts  is  better  than  a 
thousand.  I  had  rather  be  a  door  keeper  in 
the  house  of  my  God,  than  to  dwell  in  the 
tents  of  wickedness.  Lord,  I  have  loved  the 
habitation  of  thy  house,  and  the  place  where 
thine  honor  dwelleth.  One  thing  have  I 
desired  of  the  Lord,  that  will  I  seek  after, 
that  I  may  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord 
all  the  days  of  my  life,  to  behold  the  beauty 
of  the  Lord,  and  to  enquire  in  his  temple. 
I  prefer  Jerusalem  above  my  chief  joy.  Do 
good  in  thy  good  pleasure  unto  Zion;  build 
thou  the  walls  of  Jerusalem.  Whom  have 
I  in  heaven  but  thee,  and  there  is  none  upon 


/ 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON.  175  , 

earth  that  I  desire  besides  thee.  Teach  me 
to  do  thy  will,  fop  thou  art  my  God.  Thy 
spirit  is  good — lead  me  into  the  land  of  up¬ 
rightness.  Jesus  says  to  us,  ye  are  my  friends 
if  ye  do  whatsoever  I  command  you;  and 
the  first  and  great  commandment  is,  Thou 
slialt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all 
thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and 
with  ail  thy  mind:  and  the  second  is  like 
unto  it,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself.  Love  to  God  will  show  itself  by 
daily  endeavoring  to  glorify  him  in  our 
bodies  and  spirits,  which  are  his;  and  to  our 
neighbor,  by  laboring  for  his  temporal  and 
spiritual  interests.  The  fruit  of  faith  is  love, 
purity,  and  victory  over  the  world.  Love 
is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law,  and  the  source  of 
every  Christian  duty.  Without  it  we  are 
nothing,  will  do  nothing,  and  can  do  nothing 
right  and  acceptable  to  God.  Then  what 
evidence  of  pardon  have  those  who  are  des¬ 
titute  of  this  love,  and  who  neglect  the  word, 
and  ordinances  of  grace,  and  shun  that 
“  house  of  prayer,  which  is  unto  all  people.” 

0,  did  they  know  by  experience  that  God 


376  '  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

dwells  in  Zion — that  he  is  a  wall  of  fire 
round  about  her,  and  the  glory  in  the  midst — 
that  there  he  meets  with  his  people,  holds 
communion  with  them,  and  confers  on  them 
the  choicest  blessings— gives  them  a  new, 
and  an  everlasting  name,  and  makes  them 
pillars  in  his  temple,  where  they  shall  go  no 
more  out,  but  reign  with  him  in  glory  un¬ 
speakable,  would  they  not  love  the  habita¬ 
tion  of  his  house,  and  rejoice  when  it  is  said 
unto  them,  let  us  go  into  the  house  of  the 
Lord,  to  behold  his  beauty,  and  inquire  in 
his  pavilion? 

Hatred  of  sin ,  and  every  thing  opposed 
to  God ,  is  a  trait  in  the  character  of  those 
who  are  forgiven.  They  will  hate  what  God 
hates,  and  love  what  he  loves— hate  every 
false  and  wicked  way,  and  war  against  all 
sin,  and  mourn  because  of  it  wherever,  and 
in  whomsoever  it  is  found;  will  hate  sin  as  our 
common  enemy,  that  has  spread  misery  and 
death  so  far  and  wide  through  the  universe, 
and  brought  the  Lord  of  glory  down  to  the 
cursed  death  of  the  cross — sin,  traitor  to  God 
and  ruiner  of  man;  mother  of  woe,  and 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON.  177 

death,  and  hell.  As  he  is  born  of  God,  and 
as  sin  is  that  abominable  thing  which  God 
hates,  so  he  hates  it  as  much  as  he  ever  loved 
it,  and  this  hatred  is  not  merely  from  a  prin¬ 
ciple  of  self  love,  because  that  sin  has 
wounded  and  dishonored  him,  and  brought 
ruin  on  his  soul,  but  it  is  from  a  sense  of  in¬ 
gratitude  done  to  God,  and  from  a  sense  of 
its  vile  and  evil  nature,  as  opposed  to  God 
and  his  law,  and  therefore  in  humility  and  de¬ 
pendence  on  divine  aid,  he  declares  and  raises 
a  determined  and  irrevocable  warfare  against 
all  sin.  He  has  an  inward  abhorrence  of  all 
sin,  which  he  loathes  and  shuns  as  a  deadly 
poison.  O,  sin  is  my  enemy,  and  my  great¬ 
est,  sorest  burden.  I  long  to  be  delivered 
not  only  from  its  dominion,  but  also  from  its 
very  existence.  We  that  are  in  this  taber¬ 
nacle  do  groan,  being  burdened,  earnestly 
desiring  to  be  clothed  upon  with  our  house, 
which  is  from  heaven.  I  can  not  roll  sin  as 
a  sweet  morsel  under  my  tongue,  nor  make 
provision  for  it.  I  can  not  love  that  which 
pierced  my  dear  Saviour  with  the  greatest 

sorrows,  and  drank  his  life’s  blood,  but  am  a 

16 


17S 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


sworn  enemy  of  it,  and  determined  to  resist 
it  in  the  name  of  my  God,  until  I  shall  be 
more  than  conqueror,  through  Jesus  Christ, 
my  hope  and  Redeemer. 

All  may  be  summed  up  in  love ,  purity , 
keeping  the  commandments  out  of  a  pure 
heart ,  and  faith  unfeigned ;  hatred  of  sin ,  vic¬ 
tory  over  our  spiritual  foes,  as  the  world ,  the 
devil ,  and  the  flesh ;  the  approbation  of  our 
hearts ,  and  the  testimony  of  the  Spirit ;  - 
fatherly  chastisement ;  a  forgiving  and  char¬ 
itable  disposition ;  a  high  estimate  of  pardon, 
and  earnest ,  untiring  seeking  after  it.  Great 
is  the  influence  of  the  world  over  men  in  their 
natural  state.  It  is  their  chief  good,  their 
god.  They  love  it,  fear  it,  cling  to  it  as 
their  last  hope.  Though  professing  to  be¬ 
lieve  the  gospel,  they  regulate  their  lives  by 
the  opinions,  and  maxims,  and  policy  of  the 
world,  and  not  by  the  principles  of  revealed 
and  eternal  truth.  How  different  is  it  with 
the  believer.  Faith  enables  him  to  over¬ 
come  the  world,  and  live  above  it,  regardless 
of  its  favors  and  its  frowns;  to  use  the  world  as 
not  abusingit ;  remembering  the  fashion  there- 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON. 


179 


of  passeth  away.  Whosoever  is  horn  of  God 
overcometh  the  world,  and  this  is  the  victory 
that  overcometh  the  world,  even  our  faith;  if 
any  man  loveth  the  world, the  love  of  the  father 
is  not  in  him.  (1  Jno.  ii,  15;  v,  4.)  The 
believer  sees  that  Jesus  Christ  gave  himself 
for  our  sins,  that  he  might  deliver  us  from 
this  present  evil  world,  and  from  its  vain 
conversation.  (Gal.  i,  4;  1  Peter,  i,  18.) 
He  remembers  that  to  be  Christ’s  disciple  he 
must  take  up  his  cross,  leave  all  and  follow 
him,  who  though  he  was  rich,  yet  for  your 
sakes,  became  poor,  that  ye  through  his  pov¬ 
erty  might  be  rich  in  the  possession  of  all 
spiritual  good  through  time  and  eternity. 
He  now  has  desires  the  world  can  not  satisfy; 
sees  neither  beauty  nor  permanency  in  it,  and 
hence  looks  above  and  beyond  it  to  the  king 
in  his  beauty,  and  the  land  that  is  very  far 
off.  (Isa.  xxxiii,  17.)  He  knows  “  There 
is  a  land  of  pure  delight,  where  saints  im¬ 
mortal  reign;  infinite  day  excludes  the  night, 
and  pleasures  banish  pain.  There  no  fiends 
torment,  no  Christians  thirst  for  gold.” 
There  they  are  clothed  with  white  robes,  and 


180 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


palms  in  their  hands,  and  cry  with  a  loud 
voice,  saying,  Salvation  to  our  God,  which 
sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb. 
The  angels  join  the  universal  chorus,  saying, 
Amen.  Blessing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom, 
and  thanksgiving,  and  honor,  and  power, 
and  might,  be  unto  our  God,  forever  and 
ever,  amen.  (Rev.  vii.)  The  god  of  this 
world  is  overcome;  Christ  has  destroyed 
him  that  had  the  power  of  death,  that  is  the 
devil,  and  however  he  may  yet  obtain  par¬ 
tial  victories,  yet  the  God  of  peace  shall 
shortly  bruise  him  forever  under  your  feet. 
Through  Christ  we  shall  be  more  than  con¬ 
querors,  and  crucify  the  flesh  with  the  affec¬ 
tions  and  lusts.  Overcoming  these  and  the 
lusts  that  war  against  the  soul,  and  all  such 
foes,  is  an  evidence  of  forgiveness.  By  this 
I  know  that  thou  favorest  me,  because  mine 
enemy  doth  not  triumph  over  me.  (Ps.  xli, 
11.)  Our  hearts ,  and  also  the  Holy  Spirit, 
will  bear  us  witness.  Hereby  we  know' 
that  we  are  of  the  truth.  Beloved,  if  our 
heart  condemn  us  not,  then  have  we  confi¬ 
dence  towrnrd  God,  and  hereby  w7e  know  that 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON.  181 

he  abideti  in  us,  by  the  spirit  which  he  hath 
given  us.  (1  Jno.  iii,  19,  21,  24.)  This 
does  not  mean  that  our  hearts  are  stupified 

«.  X 

by  sin,  nor  that  they  do  not  smite,  and  re¬ 
proach,  and  condemn  us  at  any  time,  for  that 
would  argue  a  state  of  insensibility,  or  of 
perfection,  but  it  means  that  our  hearts  are 
sprinkled,  and  our  consciences  purged  from 
sin  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  which  speaks 
peace,  and  gives  confidence  toward  God. 
The  testimony  of  the  heart  or  conscience  is 
better  fo  us  than  a  thousand  external  wit¬ 
nesses,  yet  God  is  greater  than  our  heart,  and 
know’s  all  things,  and  is  a  surer  and  swifter 
witness.  The  spir  it  which  he  hath  given  us, 
is  a  spirit  like  that  which  Caleb  and  Joshua 
had,  different  from  the  other  spies  in  search 
of  the  land  of  promise,  and  to  a  great  ex¬ 
tent  like  that  which  rested  on  Jesus  Christ, 
the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  understanding,  the 
spirit  of  counsel  and  might,  the  spirit  of 
knowledge,  and  of  the  fear  of  the  Lord;  in 
a  word  it  is  the  spirit  of  Christ;  a  spirit  of 
revelation,  in  the  knowledge  of  him,  a  spirit  of 
meekness  and  forgiveness,  of  grace  and  sup- 
16"1 


382  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

plications,  a  spirit  of  union  to  Christ,  of  re¬ 
generation  and  sanctification,  of  adoption  of 
faith-  and  love,  the  holy  spirit  of  promise, 
which  is  the  earnest  of  our  inheritance,  until 
the  redemption  of  the  purchased  possession 
unto  the  praise  of  his  glory,  the  spirit  of 
truth  by  which  we  are  sealed,  evincing  his 
existence  by  his  fruits,  and  the  fruit  of  the 
spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  long  suffering,  gen-„ 
tleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness,  tempe¬ 
rance.  This  fruit  is  the  evidence  he  gives 
of  his  inhabitation  in  our  hearts,  and  conse¬ 
quently  of  our  pardon.  $ 

The  same  truth  is  evinced  by  fatherly 
chastisement.  As  many  as  I  love  I  rebuke 
and  chasten.  (Rev.  iii,  39.)  To  some  this 
may  seem  a  strange  evidence.  But  nume¬ 
rous  passages  of  scripture  set  it  forth  in  a 
clear  light.  To  his  chosen  people  Jehovah 
said,  you  only  have  I  known  of  all  the 
families  of  the  earth,  therefore  I  will 
punish  you  for  all  your  iniquities.  (Amos 
iii,  2.)  If  they  break  my  statutes,  and 
keep  not  my  commandments,  then  will  I 
visit  their  transgression  with  the  rod,  and 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON. 


183 


their  iniquity  with  stripes.  Whom  the  Lord 
loveth  he  chasteneth,  and  scourgeth  every 
son  whom  he  receiveth;  if  ye  are  without 
chastisements,  whereof  all  are  partakers, 
then  are  ye  bastards,  and  not  sons;  all  are 
partakers.  Whoever  escapes  in  this  life, 
they  will  not.  In  the  world  ye  shall  have 
tribulation,  but  be  of  good  cheer,  I  have 
overcome  the  world.  Consider  the  design 
of  affliction;  it  is  for  our  profit  that  we  may 
be  partakers  of  his  holiness,  we  are  chast¬ 
ened  of  the  Lord,  that  we  should  not  be 
condemned  with  the  world.  (1  Cor.  xi,  32.) 
Our  correction,  our  trial,  our  conformity  to 
Christ,  our  detachment  from  the  world,  our 
profit  and  salvation,  and  God’s  glory,  are  all 
designed  by  affliction;  our  light  affliction, 
which  is  but  for  a  moment,  worketh  for 
us  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight 
of  glory.  (2  Cor.  iv,  17.)  You  may 
know  that  it  is  fatherly  chastisement, 
'and  not  divine  wrath,  by  its  fruits.  If 
it  yield  the  peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness, 
weans  us  from  the  wrorld,  conforms  us  to 
Christ,  drives  us  from  sin  and  self,  and  leads 


184 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


us  to  God  as  our  Father,  in  whom  com¬ 
passions  flow,  and  with  whom  the  fatherless 
find  mercy,  it  is  an  evidence  that  it  is  a 
chastisement,  sent  in  love,  and  not  in  anger; 
and  you  will  say,  It  is  good  for  me  that  I 
have  been  afflicted  that  I  might  learn  thy 
statutes.  I  know,  O  Lord,  that  thy  judg¬ 
ments  are  right,  and  that  thou  in  faithfulness 
hast  afflicted  me.  He  that  spareth  his  rod, 
hateth  his  son,  byt  he  that  loveth  him,  chas- 
teneth  him  betimes.  (Ps.  cxix,  71,  75; 
Prov.  xiii,  22.)  O  Lord,  correct  me  in 
mercy,  and  in  measure,  not  in  wrath,  lest 
thou  consume  me;  lest  the  spirit  should 
fail,  and  the  souls  which  thou  hast  made.  O 
Lord,  thou  hast  chastised  me,  and  I  was 
chastised  as  a  bullock  unaccustomed  to  the 
yoke;  turn  thou  me  and  I  shall  be  turned, 
for  thou  art  the  Lord  my  God.  (Isa.  lvii,  16; 
Jer.  x,  24.)  Correct  me,  but  with  judgment, 
not  in  thine  anger,  lest  thou  bring  me  to 
nothing.  (Jer.  xxxi,  IS;  xxx,  11,  17.) 
I  will  correct  thee  in  measure,  and  will  not 
leave  thee  altogether  unpunished.  I  will 
restore  health  unto  thee,  and  I  will  heal  thee 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON. 


185 


of  thy  wounds,  saith  the  Lord,  because  they 
call  thee  an  outcast,  saying  this  is  Zion, 
whom  no  man  seeketh  after.  Thus  God 
does  with  his  people,  and  he  may  chastise 
them  by  depriving  them  of  some  blessing, 
temporal  or  spiritual,  dearest  to  their  heart, 
or  he  may  grant  the  desired  blessing,  with 
an  attending  care  or  thorn. 

A  forgiving  and  charitable  disposition  be¬ 
longs  to  those  who  are  forgiven.  They 
must  partake  of  the  same  spirit  that  is  in 
our  Lord  and  Saviour,  who  requires  us  to  love 
our  enemies,  to  bless  them  that  curse  us,  and 
do  good  to  them  that  hate  us,  and  pray  for 
them  which  despitefully  use  us;  requires  us 
to  feed  our  enemy,  and  give  him  water  to 
drink;  to  not  render  evil  for  evil,  or  railing 
for  railing,  but  contrariwise,  blessing.  To 
forgive  if  ye  have  aught  against  any,  that 
your  Father  who  is  heaven,  may  forgive  you 
your  trespasses;  to  forgive,  even  as  God  for 
Christ’s  sake  hath  forgiven  you  (Matt,  v; 
1  Peter,  iii,  9;  Mark  xi,  25;  Eph.  iv,  32). 
And  as  Jesus  has  set  us  an  example,  who  on 
the  cross  apologized  and  prayed  for  his  ene- 


186  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

t 

mies:  “  Father  forgive  them  for  they  know 
not  what  they  do.”  In  imitation  of  his 
example,  the  martyr  Stephen,  pelted  with 
stones,  kneeled  down,  and  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  in  behalf  of  his  murderers,  Lord  lay 
not  this  sin  to  their  charge.  He  had  tasted 
the  sweetness  of  that  greatest  blessing,  par¬ 
don;  pardon  for  infinite  offence,  bought 
with  blood  divine;  and  was  thus  enabled  to 
forgive  his  foes.  0,  when  we  remember 
what  an  enormous  debt  of  sin  God  has 
forgiven  us,  and  daily  pray,  forgive  us  our 
debts  as  we  forgive  our  debtors,  can  we 
have  any  other  feeling  in  our  hearts,  than 
a  disposition  to  forgive,  even  till  seventy 
times  seven.  It  seems  to  us,  that  those  who 
are  of  a  revengeful,  unforgiving  disposition, 
and  are  scarcely  willing  to  forgive  the 
smallest  offence,  real  or  imaginary,  have 
great  reason  to  fear  that  they  have  never 
obtained  pardon  from  God;  for,  if  ye  for¬ 
give  not  men  their  trespasses,  neither  will 
your  Father  forgive  your  tresspasses.  (Matt, 
vi,  15)  The  same  is  true  of  charity ,  for 
whoso  hath  this  world’s  good,  and  seeth 


4 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON. 


187 


his  brother  have  need,  and  shutteth  up  his 
bowels  of  compassion  from  him,  how  dwell- 
eth  the  love  of  God  in  him?  (1  John  iii,  1) 
How  can  it  dwell  in  him,  more  than  in  those 
■who  saw  Christ  in  the  person  of  his  people, 
an  hungered,  and  thirsty,  and  a  stranger, 
and  naked,  sick,  and  in  prison,  and  did  nc' 
minister  unto  him?  Ah,  it  can  not.  Now 
abideth  faith,  hope,  charity,  these  three,  but 
the  greatest  of  these  is  charity.  Without 
it,  no  man  is  a  Christian;  whatever  he  may 
profess,  he  is  nothing,  and  has  no  evidence 
of  pardon.  Alas,  what  will  those  think  of 
this,  who  are  wedded  to  their  golden  dust, 
and  who  with  hearts  steeled  against  the 
wants,  temporal  and  spiritual,  of  suffering 
humanity,  “  drive  the  poor  away,  unalmsed, 
with  looks  which  hell  might  be  ashamed  of.” 
Certainly,  they  can  not,  with  this  mark  of 
Cain  on  them,  lay  claim  to  the  faith  and 
inheritance  of  Abel.  It  is  characteristic  of 
the  righteous,  that  he  “  showeth  mercy,  and 
giveth.”  (Ps.  xxxvii,  21)  His  charity  ex¬ 
tends  also  to  the  views  of  others;  itsuffereth 
.  long  and  is  kind;  beareth  all  things;  be- 


188  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

lieveth  all  things;  hopeth  all  things;  en- 
dureth  all  things,  and  never  fails.  Every 
one  who  has  obtained  pardon,  will  prize  it 
as  one  of  heaven  s  greatest  blessings ,  and 
will  never  rest  till  he  has  obtained  a  full  and 
sensible  evidence  of  it.  Even  after  God 
said  to  David,  I  have  put  away  thy  sin;  thou 
shalt  not  die,  he  prayed:  restore  unto  me  the 
joy  of  thy  salvation;  O  let  me  see  thy 
countenance;  give  me  some  comfortable  evi¬ 
dence  of  the  remission  of  my  sins,  that  1 
may  enjoy  thee  as  the  portion  of  my  soul. 
He  is  importunate,  saying,  I  will  not  let  thee 
go,  except  thou  bless  me.  The  prisoner, 
the  captive,  and  the  slave,  can  not  prize 
their  liberty  more  than  we  do  pardon; 
nor  can  those  doomed  to  death  prize  a  re¬ 
lease  from  the  grave  more  than  we  do  the 
forgiveness  of  our  sins,  which  bring  us 
down  to  the  prison  of  death  and  hell. 
Without  this  blessing,  no  other  can  be  en¬ 
joyed.  While  the  curse  of  God  rests  on 
man,  he  pines  away  in  his  sins,  amid  plea¬ 
sures  and  palaces,  sumptuous  fare,  and 
treasures  of  fine  gold.  In  a  word,  have  you 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON. 


189 


given  yourself  to  Christ ,  that  he  may  sanct¬ 
ify  and  save  you,  govern  and  use  you  for 
his  glory.  Vain  are  your  hopes,  if  there 
has  not  been  a  cordial  and  entire  devote- 
ment  of  yourself  to  God,  and  a  deep  humili¬ 
ation  before  him,  for  all  your  sins,  and  an 
avowed  and  determined  war  declared  against 
them.  This  surrender  must  be  in  faith  and 
dependence  on  Christ,  and  this  faith  must 
be  sincere,  and  this  opposition  to  sin  must 
be  because  of  its  deformity,  and  vileness, 
and  malignity,  as  contrary  to  God,  and  his 
law.  It  is  not  enough  to  have  assumed  a 
new  name  and  robe,  or  to  have  a  partial 
change  of  heart.  The  change  must  be  uni¬ 
versal;  the  name  and  robe  must  be  from 
him,  who  gives  his  people  a  white  stone, 
and  in  the  stone  a  new  name  written,  which 
no  man  knoweth,  saving  he  that  receiveth 
it,  and  who  clothes  the  returning  prodigal 
with  the  best  robe.  Have  you  the  spirit  of 
Christ  ?  Is  the  same  mind  in  you  that  was 
in  Christ  Jesus  1  Have  you  any  of  his  love, 
devotion,  and  resignation  to  the  will  of 
God  ?  Have  you  any  of  his  purity,  pa  - 


190 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


tience,  wisdom,  contempt  for  the  applause, 
and  honors,  and  riches  of  the  world  ?  Have 
you  any  of  his  fortitude,  zeal,  sincerity,  con¬ 
stancy,  meekness,  prudence,  fidelity  to  God ; 
regard  to  his  spirit,  his  people,  his  interests'? 
Do  you  rejoice  in  his  ordinances,  and  care¬ 
fully  improve  them,  and  cherish  the  influen¬ 
ces  of  the  Holy  Spirit  ?  Have  you  firmly 
resolved  with  constant  care  to  avoid  what¬ 
ever  you  know  God  would  disapprove,  and 
to  dispatch  the  work  he  has  assigned  you  in 
life,  and  to  promote  his  glory  in  the  happi¬ 
ness  of  mankind  ?  Are  your  motives  of 
action  pure  and  honest  in  the  sight  of  God, 
and  are  you  careful  to  be,  before  him,  what 
you  profess  to  be  before  men.  Do  you  pre¬ 
fer  the  soul  to  the  body,  and  spiritual  things 
to  temporal  ?  Does  the  remembrance  of 
your  sin  fiH  you  with  shame  and  sorrow  of 
heart,  even  when  it  is  secret,  and  when  you 
have  reason  to  hope  it  is  forgiven.  Are 
your  desires  for  the  world  after,  which 
there  is  such  an  insatiable  thirst,  ever  grow¬ 
ing  with  indulgence  and  success,  moderate, 
and  in  subordination  to  God’s  glory  1  Are 


EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON. 


191 


you  content  with  such  things  as  you  have, 
knowing  he  is  faithful  who  has  said,  I  will 
never  leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee  ?  Even 
when  in  poverty,  do  you  enjoy  all  things,  in 
God;  and  God  in  all  things?  Have  you 
put  on  bowels  of  mercies,  kindness,  humble¬ 
ness  of  mind,  meekness,  long-suffering,  for¬ 
bearing  one  another,  and  forgiving  one 
another  (1  Col.  iii,  12).  Have  you  a  tender 
regard  to  God’s  word  and  ordinances,  a 
tender  caution  against  all  sin,  a  tender  sub¬ 
mission  to  God’s  afflicting  hand,  and  will 
you  allow  any  thing  that  will  offend  him, 
and  reproach  his  name  and  cause?  Do 
you  feel  and  deplore  your  corrupt  nature, 
evil  inclinations,  and  habits,  that  are  so  dif¬ 
ficult  to  overcome  as  to  defy  human  power 
(Jer.  xiii,  23)  ?  Have  you  this  rejoicing, 
the  testimony  of  your  conscience,  that  in 
simplicity  and  godly  sincerity,  not  with 
lleshly  wisdom,  but  by  the  grace  of  God 
you  have  had  your  conversation  in  the 
world  (2  Cor.  i,  12)?  Then,  amid  all  your 
difficulties  and  opposition,  from  earth  and 
hell,  you  may  look  upward  and  onward,  and 


192 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


you  will  find  that  Jesus  is  near,  for  your 
deliverance,  for  your  wisdom  and  righteous¬ 
ness,  and  sanctification  and  redemption.  0, 
that  these  evidences  of  pardon  may  be  found 
in  us,  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his 
grace. 


CHAPTER  VIIL 

WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION. 

But  we  can  not  dismiss  this  subject,  with¬ 
out  warning  all  against  the  commission  of 
sin,  and  without  exhorting  those  that  are  yet 
in  their  sins,  and  those  that  are  yet  in  dark¬ 
ness,  to  seek  forgiveness  from  God,  and  all 
who  have  received  this  great  blessing,  to 
never  cease  their  songs  of  praise  to  him  who 
forgives  all  our  iniquities,  and  heals  all  our 
diseases.  There  is  no  blessing,  however 
great,  which  is  not  liable  to  abuse,  by  sinful 
men.  They  even  turn  the  grace  of  God 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  193 

into  lasciviousness,  and,  because  the  blood 
of  Christ  cleanses  from  all  sin,  and  because 
some  of  the  chief  of  sinners  have  been  for¬ 
given,  these  graceless  sinners  may  hence  take 
encouragement  to  sin.  But  let  me  warn 
such,  against,  this.- fearful  presumption;  for 
if  this  be  the  principle  on  which  you  act, 
take  care  that  God  does  not  swear,  in  his 
wrath,  that  you  shall  not  enter  into  his  rest. 
If  he  spared  not  the  natural  branches,  take 
heed,  lest  he  also  spare  not  thee  (Rom.  xi, 
21).  If  judgment  first  begin  at  the  house 
of  God,  what  shall  be  the  end  of  them  that 
obey  not  the  gospel  ?  And  if  the  righteous 
scarcely  be  saved,  where  shall  the  ungodly 
and  the  sinner  appear  (1  Pt.  iv,  17,  18)  ? 
Because  sentence  against  an  evil  work  is 
not  executed  speedily,  therefore  the  heart  of 
the  sons  of  men  is  fully  set  in  them  to  do 
evil.  But  remember  that  the  wrath  of  God 
is  revealed  from  heaven  against  all  ungod¬ 
liness  and  unrighteousness  of  men,  who 
hold  the  truth  in  unrighteousness;  that  his 
spirit  will  not  always  strive  with  man; 
justice  will  not  sleep  forever.  He  will  arise 
17* 


194  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

as  a  giant  refreshed  with  wine,  and  rain 
upon  the  wicked,  snares,  fire  and  brimstone, 
and  an  horrible  tempest;  this  shall  be  the 
portion  of  their  cup.  He  will  render  to 
every  man  according  to  his  deeds;  to  them 
who  by  patient  continuance  in  well  doing, 
seek  for  glory,  and  honor,  and  immortality, 
eternal  life;  but  unto  them  that  are  conten¬ 
tious,  and  do  not  obey  the  truth,  but  obey 
unrighteousness,  indignation  and  wrath, 
tribulation  and  anguish,  upon  every  soul  of 
man  that  doeth  evil  (  Rom.  ii ).  All  this 
wrath,  poured  out  on  the  old  world;  on 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  yet  suffering  the 
vengeance  of  eternal  fire.  Behold  it  in  the 
plagues  of  Egypt,  and  the  overthrow  of 
their  armies  in  the  Red  sea;  in  the  fearful 
destruction  of  Korah  and  his  company;  in 
the  destruction  of  the  seven  idolatrous  na¬ 
tions;  in  the  leprosy  of  Miriam;  of  Gehazi; 
and  in  the  plagues  that  orten  consumed 
thousands  of  God’s  chosen,  but  rebellious 
people,  who  are  now  dispersed  among  all 
nations,  as  a  standing  monument  of  Jeho¬ 
vah’s  displeasure  at  sin.  Even  Moses  was 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  195 

not  permitted  to  enter  the  land  of  promise, 
for  speaking  unadvisedly  with  his  lips,  and 
not  honoring  God  at  the  waters  of  Meribah. 
For  David’s  complicated  sin,  his  wives  were 
given  to  his  neighbor,  and  the  sword  never 
departed  from  his  house.  Herod  was  eaten 
up  of  worms,  because  he  gave  not  God  the 
glory.  Anti-Christ  —  mystical  Babylon  — 
will  yet  fall,  to  rise  no  more;  the  wicked 
shall  be  turned  into  hell,  with  all  the  nations 
that  forget  God.  Then,  sin  is  followed  with 
punishment  either  in  this  life  or  in  the  next. 
Sin  entails  misery.  The  way  of  transgress¬ 
ors  is  hard;  hard,  as  opposed  to  God  and 
his  law,  to  reason,  and  conscience,  and  hap¬ 
piness.  Then,  my  son,  if  sinners  entice 
thee,  consent  thou  not.  Resist  the  devil, 
and  he  will  flee  from  thee.  The  moment 
you  begin  to  listen  to  him,  you  are  on  the 
highway  to  ruin.  Suppress  the  first  emo¬ 
tions  of  sin;  for  lust,  when  it  is  conceived, 
bringeth  forth  sin,  and  sin,  when  it  is 
finished,  bringeth  forth  death.  Look  not 
upon  the  wine  when  it  is  red;  -when  it 
giveth  his  color  in  the  cup;  when  it  moveth 


196 


'pardon  of  sin, 

itself  aright.  At  the  last,  it  biteth  like  a  ser¬ 
pent  and  stingeth  like  an  adder.  But  virtue 
brings  its  own  reward,  even  in  this  life. 
Godliness  is .  profitable  unto  all  things; 
having  the  promise  of  the  life  that  now  is, 
and  of  that  which  is  to  come  ( 1  Tim.  iv,  8). 
When  a  man’s  ways  please  the  Lord,  he 
maketh  even  his  enemies  to  be  at  peace 
with  him;  as  long  as  Uzziah  sought  the 
Lord,  God  made  him  to  prosper  (Prov.  xvi, 
7;  2  Chron.  xxvi,  5).  Hence,  my  son,  for¬ 
get  not  my  law,  but  let  thine  heart  keep 
my  commandments;  for  length  of  days,  and 
long  life,  and  peace,  shall  they  add  to  thee. 
Let  not  mercy  and  truth  forsake  thee;  bind 
them  about  thy  neck;  write  them  upon  the 
table  of  thine  heart;  so  shalt  thou  find 
favor,  and  good  understanding,  in  the 
sight  of  God  and  man.  Trust  in  the  Lord 
with  all  thine  heart.  In  all  thy  ways 
acknowledge  him,  and  he  shall  direct 
thy  paths.  Honor  the  Lord  with  thy  sub¬ 
stance,  and  wTith  the  first  fruits  of  thine  in¬ 
crease;  so  shall  thy  barns  be  filled  with 
plenty,  and  thy  presses  shall  burst  out  with 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  197 

new  wine.  Happy  is  the  man  that  findeth 
wisdom;  for  the  merchandise  of  it  is  better 
than  the  merchandise  of  silver,  and  the  gain 
thereof  than  fine  gold.  She  is  more  pre¬ 
cious  than  rubies,  and  all  the  things  thou 
canst  desire  are  not  to  be  compared  unto 
her.  Length  of  days  is  in  her  right  hand, 
and  in  her  left  hand,  riches  and  honor.  Her 
ways  are  ways  of  pleasantness,  and  all  her 
paths  are  peace.  She  is  a  tree  of  life  to 
them  that  lay  hold  up'on  her,  and  happy  is 
every  one  that  retaineth  her  (Prov.  iii). 

Let  us  further  warn  the  impenitent  sinner, 
by  the  threatening s  of  the  divine  law ,  and 
the  vengeance  of  eternal  fire ,  to  not  do  that 
abominable  thing  which  God  hates,  and 
which  brings  on  men,  as  its  legitimate  fruit, 
a  train  of  numberless  evils  in  this  world, 
and,  in  the  world  to  come,  the  wail  of  ever¬ 
lasting  woe.  And  let  us  here  introduce,  as 
a  warning  to  the  Christian,  a  brief  account 
of  the  'punishment  of  the  Israelites,  for  their 
sin  on  the  borders  of  Canaan.  Their  sin  was 
murmuring,  mutiny,  unbelief,  carnality,  and 
apostacy  (Numb,  vi,  14;  Deut.  i,  36;  Neh. 


.198  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

ix,  17).  For  this,  they  were  sent  back  into 
the  wilderness,  by  the  way  of  the  Red  sea, 
to  leave  their  carcases  in  the  desert,  and  not 
be  permitted  to  enter  the  land  of  promise. 
Dreadful  punishment!  They  were  already 
at  Kadesh  Barnea,  the  last  resting  place  on 
the  confines  of  Canaan.  There  they  had 
come,  directly  from  Horeb,  the  mount  of  God, 
where  he  said,  ye  have  dwelt  long  enough 
(Deut.  i,  6);  where  they  had  been  a  year,  ex¬ 
cept  ten  days  (Ex.  xix,  1;  Numb,  x,  11);  in 
which  time,  the  law  was  given;  the  taberna¬ 
cle,  and  all  pertaining  to  it,  were  made; 
rules,  ecclesiastical  and  civil,  were  appoint¬ 
ed,  and  they  were  numbered  and  marshalled, 
in  order,  under  four  standards,  ready  to 
march;  and,  all  this  being  done,  they  must 
stay  no  longer,  but  set  forward  for  Canaan. 
They  must  not  stay  long  under  the  terrors  of 
the  law,  but  go  to  mount  Zion,  the  city  of 
the  living  God.  Horeb  is  the  same  as  Si¬ 
nai,  a  famous  mountain  in  Arabia,  having 
two  tops;  the  western,  called  Horeb,  and  the 
eastern,  properly  called  Sinai;  also  called 
the  mount,  of  God,  because  he  there  com- 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION,  199 

muned  with  Moses  and  Elijah  (Ex.  xix; 
1  K.  xix,  8).  From  this  to  Kadesh  Barnea 
was  eleven  days  journey,  or,  they  were 
eleven  days  between  the  two  places  (Deut. 
i,  2).  Philo,  the  Jew,  says  it  was  but  ten 
days  journey,  and  it  is  certain  it  was  not 
far,  since  it  was  travelled,  again  and  again, 
by  the  sons  of  Jacob,  going  from  Canaan  to 
Egypt  to  buy  corn.  It  was  the  nearest  way; 
but  God  led  the  people  about,  by  the  way  of 
the  wilderness  of  the  Red  sea,  and  they  de¬ 
parted  from  Horeb,  and  went  through  all 
that  great  and  terrible  wilderness  which  ye 
saw  by  the  way  of  the  mountain  of  the 
Amorites  (Ex.  xiii,  17,  18;  Deut.  i,  19); 
great,  as  it  reached  from  Sinai,  to  Kadesh 
Barnea,  and  terrible,  as  it  had  no  water, 
was  neither  plowed  nor  sown,  and  contained 
no  fertile  spot,  nor  flowery  path,  nor  fruit¬ 
ful  tree;  but  it  contained  firey  serpents  and 
scorpions,  and  the  image  of  death  (Deut. 
viii,  15). 

On  the  edge  of  this  wilderness,  at  Kadesh, 
the  Israelites  long  sojourned;  therice,  Moses 
sent  the  spies  to  view  the  promised  land,  and 


200 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


thence,  also,  they  took  their  retreat  into  the 
wilderness,  by  the  way  of  the  Red  Sea,  and 
compassed  Mount  Seir  many  days,  which 
mount  was  a  part  of  the  possession  of  Esau 
(Deut.  i,  46;  ii,  1-5).  Now  their  backs 
were  upon  Canaan,  and  their  faces  towards 
Egypt.  Alas!  be  not  high  minded,  but  fear; 
let  him  that  thinketh  he  standeth,  take  heed, 
lest  he  fall.  God  soon  brought  the  Israel¬ 
ites  from  Egypt  to  Kadesh-Barnea;  regaled 
their  senses  with  the  fragrance  of  the  spicy 
breezes,  wafted  down  into  the  desert  from 
that  land  which  flowed  with  milk  and  ho¬ 
ney,  and  gave  them  some  clusters  of  the 
grapes  of  Eshcol,  to  prepare  and  strengthen 
them  for  the  toils  and  conflicts  of  their  jour¬ 
ney,  and  after  that,  for  their  sins,  sent  them 
back  into  the  howling  wilderness,  to  wander 
in  a  solitary  way.  So  he  often  brings  the 
Christian,  warm  with  the  love  of  his  espous¬ 
als,  and  strong  in  the  exercise  of  that  faith 
which  is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for, 
to  the  very  confines  of  heaven.  The  gales 
of  the  spirit  are  wafted  gently  on  his  soul, 
the  spices  flow  out,  and  his  faith  looks 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  201 

across  the  gulf  of  time,  pierces  the  vail  of 
eternity,  and  brings  all  heaven  before  his 
eye.  He  imagines  himself  within  its  golden 
streets  and  gates  of  pearl.  But,  alas!  he 
awakes  from  his  pleasant  dreams,  and  finds 
himself  again  far  back  in  the  dark  world  of 
sin,  where  he  has  yet  something  to  do  for 
Christ’s  .'name’s  sake,  and  much  to  learn  of 
the  perfections  and  providence  of  God,  and 
of  the  lurking  depravity  of  his  own  way¬ 
ward  heart,  before  he  can  enter  into  eternal 
rest,  and  receive  the  crown  of  glory  that 
fadeth  not  away.  But  let  us  conclude  this 
point,  principally  in  the  language  of  an  em¬ 
inent  writer  (Rev.  Islay  Burns):  Israel  did 
not  remain  long  on  the  confines  of  Canaan; 
in  a  little  time  they  are  in  the  wilderness 
again,  with  Canaan  behind,  and  the  wild 
and  desolate  desert  before  them:  the  distant 
view;  the  messengers;  the  glad  tidings;  the 
grapes  of  Eshcol,  are  all  now  among  the 
»  things  that  were,  and  they  wander  once 
more  in  the  wilderness,  in  a  solitary  way; 
such  reverses  are  not  uncommon  in  the  his¬ 
tory  of  Israel.  Thus,  no  sooner  had  they 
18 


202 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

chanted  their  triumphant  song  of  deliverance 
on  the  shores  of  the  Red  sea,  and  scarce  had 
the  joyful  sound  died  away  on  the  bosom  of 
the  deep,  and  they  turned  from  gazing  on  the 
dark  abyss  where  their  worst  enemies  lay  bu¬ 
ried,  than  their  toils  and  their  trials  began. 
Their  first  step  towards  Canaan,  was  a  step  in¬ 
to  a  howling  desert.  Then  Moses  brought 
Israel  from  the  Red  sea,  and  they  went  into 
the  wilderness  of  Shur;  and  they  went  three 
days  into  the  wilderness,  and  found  no  wa¬ 
ter.  So  it  was  at  the  rock  of  Horeb;  they 
were  resting  in  peace  around  the  rock,  and 
drinking  with  joy  from  the  stream  that 
gushed  from  its  smitten  side.  A  distant 
sound  is  heard  and  a  cloud  appears  on  the 
horizon.  An  alarm,  a  stir  of  approaching 
danger  runs  through  the  camp.  It  is  Ama- 
lek,  Israel’s  deadly  foe,  that  is  coming  on, 
and  they  must  arise,  and  fight  for  their  lives. 
So  it  is  in  the  experience  of  the  saints  in 
every  age.  Theirs  is  a  chequered  course  — 
alternate  cloud  and  sunshine  —  conflict  and 
rest  —  from  beginning  to  end.  The  day 
that  began  in  feasting,  may  close  in  fighting. 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  203 

To-day,  they  are  at  Kadesh  Barnea,  within 
sight,  and  almost  within  a  step  of  Canaan; 
to-morrow,  they  are  in  the  wilderness,  amid 
dark  mountains,  and  barren,  thirsty  plains, 
as  though  their  faces  were  towards  Egypt, 
and  they  had  lost  sight  of  their  home  for¬ 
ever.  They  are  sent  back  into  the  wilder¬ 
ness  for  their  sin;  for  their  cowardice,  and 
God-dishonoring  unbelief,  they  are  found 
utterly  unfit,  and  unable  to  enter  and  pos¬ 
sess  the  land.  So  it  is  with  us;  and  God 
has  good  reasons  for  keeping  us  long  in  the 
wilderness,  trying  and  leading  us  through 
fire  and  water,  clouds  and  darkness.  He 
may  overrule  our  guilty  backslidings,  and 
melancholy  declensions  in  grace,  for  good, 
and  make  them  all  redound  to  his  glory  at 
last.  He  may  have  work  for  us^to  do,  les¬ 
sons  for  us  to  learn,  which  could  be  done 
and  learned  only  in  a  world  of  tribulation 
and  sin;  and  hence  he  may  have  us  strug¬ 
gling  on  with  temptation  and  sorrow,  long 
after  we  had  obtained  the  title  to  the  in¬ 
heritance,  and  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  in 
our  hearts.  Great  usefulness  may  be  the 


204  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

reason  of  a  long  pilgrimage  and  toilsome 
conflict,  as  it  was  with  John  and  Paul,  and 
Caleb  and  Joshua,  and  others,  who  were 
sent  back  for  greater  usefulness,  and  as  a 
reward  for  faithfulness,  rather  than  a  rebuke 
for  sin,  as  thousands  were  kept  back  in  judg¬ 
ment,  for  unbelief  and  rebellion.  We  are 
so  carnal,  so  unready,  our  hearts  are  so 
chained  to  the  dust,  and  so  little  in  unison 
with  our  high  destiny,  we  are  such  slow 
scholars  in  the  school  of  Christ,  that  we  are 
sent  back  to  a  sterner  school,  to  learn  our 
lessons  over  again.  It  is  because  we  are 
unripe,  that  we  stand  in  the  field,  exposed 
to  the  scorching  suns,  and  bleaching  rains 
of  a  long  and  chequered  scene  of  sorrows. 
When  the  fruit  is  ripe,  immediately  he  put- 
teth  in  the  sickle,  because  the  harvest  is 
come.  They  go  back  of  their  own  accord. 
God  often  corrects  his  people  by  giving  them 
their  own  desires,  as  at  the  grave  of  lust, 
when  in  anger  he  sent  them  the  quails,  for 
their  lusts  after  the  luxuries  of  Egypt,  for 
which  they  would  have  sold  their  birthright. 
But  while  the  meat  was  in  their  mouths,  the 


/ 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  205 

anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  and  the 
plague  began,  and  swept  away  twenty  three 
thousand  to  an  untimely  grave.  On  this 
occasion,  they  said,  it  were  better  for  us  to 
return  to  Egypt,  and  they  not  only  proposed, 
but  also  appointed  a  captain,  for  this  pur¬ 
pose  (Numb,  xiv,  3,  4;  Neh.  ix,  17).  This 
melancholy  retreat,  with  all  its  consequent 
train  of  ills  and  sufferings,  was  their  own 
guilty  act,  the  device  and  choice  of  their 
own  carnal,  grovelling  and  unbelieving 
hearts.  Is  it  not  even  so  with  us  ?  Is 
not  the  same  evil  heart  of  unbelief  in  us, 
departing  from  the  living  God,  and  from  our 
rest!  Are  we  not  carnal,  sensual,  worldly, 
and  when  in  holy  judgment  he  sent  us  back, 
to  wander  here  as  exiles  still,  and  aban¬ 
doned  us,  it  may  be,  to  a  low,  selfish  and 
unspirtual  life,  was  he  not  granting  us  the 
very  wish  and  device  of  our  own  hearts  ? 
He  brought  us  to  Kadesh  Barnea,  and  would 
have  carried  us,  by  a  short  and  rapid  course, 
to  glory;  but  we  would  not;  we  would  not 
enter  in,  because  of  unbelief.  If  we  are 
low  in  grace,  and  far  behind  in  the  heavenly 
IS* 


206 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

journey,  it  is  our  own  sin  and  shame;  if  we 
are  lean,  and  faint,  and  unprofitable,  and 
unhappy,  it  is  because  we  desire  to  have  it 
so;  yea,  but  for  infinite  mercy,  we  had  been 
infinitely  worse  —  we  would  have  gone  back, 
utterly  and  forever,  to  the  land  of  death  — 
back  to  perdition,  a  thousand  times,  had  not 
divine  and  sovreign  grace  kept  us  from  fall¬ 
ing,  and  given  us  to  know  the  bitterness  of 
backsliding,  and  not  its  deserved  doom.  All 
was  overruled  for  their  good.  It  was  ne¬ 
cessary  that  this  broken,  degraded,  faint¬ 
hearted  race,  just  rescued  from  the  galling 
yoke  of  iron  despotism  —  still  retaining  the 
hearts  of  slaves  —  should  be  sent  back  to 
the  school  of  discipline,  that  amid  privation, 
toil  and  conflict,  they  might  acquire  the 
spirit  and  soul  of  freemen.  God  will  not 
have  these  craven,  crouching  cowards,  who, 
with  necks  set  free,  seem  yet  to  wear  the 
fetters  on  their  hearts — fretting  at  the  least 
privation  —  trembling  at  every  danger  — 
giving  vent  to  ignoble  and  unmanly  tears, 
at  the  very  mention  of  the  enemies  between 
them  and  their  rest  —  to  enter  into  the  glo- 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  207 

rious  land.  Besides,  how  much  have  they 
to  learn  of  themselves,  and  of  their  God — - 
of  his  perfections  and  worship  —  before 
they  can  be  what  he  chose  them  for,  a  pecu¬ 
liar  people  to  himself.  Hence,  they  are 
sent  back,  to  dwell  in  tents,  and  wander 
from  mountain  to  mountain,  in  the  wide  and 
pathless  desert.  It  was  their  school,  where 
he  led  them  about,  and  instructed  them,  and 
prepared  them  for  their  destiny.  True,  with 
two  exceptions,  that  race  left  their  carcases 
in  the  wilderness;  but  a  new  race  sprung 
up,  better  than  their  fathers,  that  served  the 
Lord  all  the  days  of  Joshua,  and  all  the 
days  of  the  elders  that  outlived  Joshua,  and 
who  had  knowm  all  the  wrorks  of  the  Lord 
which  he  had  doneTor  Israel.  Do  we  not 
need  a  similar  training?  Are  wTe  not  carnal, 
unbelieving,  ungrateful;  fretted  by  every 
petty  trial,  and  dismayed  by  every  difficulty  ? 
Though  free,  are  we  not  still  slaves  in  heart, 
crouching  before  a  poor  world’s  frown,  and 
trailing  the  heavy  chain  of  carnality  about 
with  us?  How  little  holy  liberty — jhow 
little  strength  —  how  little  boldness  in  the 


208 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


'strength  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus  —  how 
unlike  our  high  rank  and  glorious  destiny 
- — how  little  of  the  high  bearing  and  royal 
air  of  the  children  of  God — of  their  spirit, 
and  demeanor,  and  life.  Is  it  not  well 

P 

that  we  are  sent  back  into  the  cold  and 
desolate  world  again,  to  humble  us,  to 
prove  us,  and  know  wThat  is  in  our  hearts, 
to  prepare  us  for  the  inheritance,  and  give 
us  a  princely  heart,  worthy  of  the  crown  of 
life.  They  are  not  cast  off.  God  never 
cast  off  his  people,  whom  he  foreknew,  but 
brought  to  pass  all  he  had  promised  them. 
Though  graceless  individuals  may  be  cast 
off,  yet  as  a  people  they  are  not,  and  never 
will.  Though  troubled  on  every  side,  they 
are  not  distressed;  though  perplexed,  they 
are  not  in  despair;  though  persecuted,  they 
are  not  forsaken;  though  cast  down,  they 
are  not  destroyed  (2  Cor.  iv,  8,  9).  This 
sinful,  afflicted,  yet  still  beloved  people,  are 
marked  as  God’s,  and  loved  with  an  un¬ 
changeable  love;  they  are  delivered  by  him. 
The  same  God  who  was  with  them  in  the 
sea,  and  chained  up  its  raging  billows  till 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  209 

the  last  of  the  ransomed  flock  passed  over, 
was  with  them  to  the  end,  in  the  stern 
battle  field,  amid  the  dark  mountains,  and  in 
the  gloomy,  thirsty  desert.  He  found  them 
in  a  desert  land,  and  in  the  waste,  howling 
wilderness.  He  led  them  about,  he  instructed 
them,  he  kept  them  as  the  apple  of  his  eye. 
He  sustained  them;  fed  them  with  his  own 
hand;  covered  their  tables  daily  with 
bread  from  heaven.  They  had  meat  to  eat 
which  the  world  knew  not  of.  So  our  life 
is  hid  with  Christ  in  God.  We  feed  on 
hidden  manna;  drink  life  and  peace  out  of 
the  smitten  Rock  of  Ages;  we  all  eat  of 
the  same  spiritual  meat,  and  drink  the 
same  spiritual  drink.  He  guided  them;  he 
took  not  away  the  pillar  of  cloud  by  day, 
and  of  fire  by  night.  Their  tedious,  circuit¬ 
ous  route  —  beset  by  dangers,  and  sorrows, 
and  afflictions  —  is  not  by  chance.  Jehovah 
guides  them  with  his  eye,  and  directs  every 
step.  They  move,  they  rest,  at  his  com¬ 
mand.  He  leadeth  his  people  by  the  right 
way,  unto  the  city  of  habitation.  The  man 
of  the  world  may  travel  on  awhile  cheer- 


21  0 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

fully,  over  rich  and  flowery  paths,  but  he 
travels  at  random.  He  knows  not  whither 
he  goes,  and  his  next  step  may  be  a  step 
into  hell.  But  the  believer’s  footsteps  are 
ordered  by  the  Lord,  and  hence  are  safe  and 
sure.  Thou  who  deliverest  my  soul  from 
death,  wilt  not  thou  deliver  also  my  feet 
from  falling,  that  I  may  walk  before  the 
Lord  in  the  light  of  the  living?  Thou  shalt 
guide  me  with  thy  counsel,  and  afterward 
receive  me  to  glory.  They  are  chastened 
by  him,  and  gracious  chastisements  are  an 
invincible  and  infallible  mark  of  grace. 
They  are  provided  in  the  covenant,  and  are 
sure  to  all  the  seed  (Ps.  lxxxix,  30,  31). 
Whom  the  Lord  loveth,  he  chasteneth.  This 
is  evident  from  the  whole  history  of  Israel, 
which  was  one  continued  train  of  sin,  and 
chastisement  following,  in  sure  succession. 
So  it  is  with  God’s  people.  The  chastening 
rod ;  the  hedge  of  thorns;  the  refining.furnace; 
the  fiery  darts  of  the  enemy;  frowns  of  Provi¬ 
dence,  and  hidings  of  the  Father’s  face, 
when  his  people  forsake  his  law  and  go 
astray,  will  follow  them.  These  are  essen- 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  211 

tial  features  of  God’s  children,  and  as  real  a. 
token  of  salvation  as  the  showers  of  manna 
from  heaven,  or  the  heavy  grapes  of  Eshcol. 
This  seal  of  the  living  God  is  upon  them. 
Think  also  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
plowed  as  an  heap,  and  of  the  dispersion  of 
the  Jews  among  all  nations,  and  the  evil 
entailed  for  eating  the  forbidden  fruit.  But 
we  must  not  rashly  conclude,  that  every 
afflicted  man  is  a  true  Christian;  nor  that 
every  afflicted  Christian  is  a  great  sinner. 
Abraham  and  Job  were  afflicted  for  trial,  and 
so  were  the  Israelites  led  about  forty  years  in 
the  wilderness,  to  humble  and  prove  them,  and 
to  know  what  was  in  their  heart  (Deut.  viii, 
2).  The  wicked  are  not  generally  toiled 
and  plagued  as  others,  yet  sometimes  they 
receive  correction  in  this  life:  The  truth  is, 
that  from  external  dispensations  of  Provi¬ 
dence  no  man  can  tell  either  love  or  hatred, 
by  all  that  is  before  him.  We  must  then 
look  at  the  design  and  spirit  of  affliction. 
Is  it  to  humble  and  prove  us,  and  bring  us  to 
God?  Does  it  work  the  peaceable  fruits  of 
righteousness,  fitting  us  for  an  eternal  weight 


212 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

of  glory  ?  0,  let  us  take  warning  by  what 

befel  God’s  peculiar  people,  for  with  many 
of  them  God  was  not  well  pleased,  for  they 
were  overthrown  in  the  wilderness.  Now 
these  things  were  our  examples,  to  the  in¬ 
tent  we  should  not  lust  after  evil  things,  as 
they  also  lusted.  Now  all  these  things  hap¬ 
pened  unto  them  for  ensamples;  and  they 
are  written  for  our  admonition  (1  Cor.  x, 
5-11). 

Beware  of  declension  in  religion.  It  will 
first  begin  by  a  failure  in  secret  duties. 
They  will  first  be  observed  formally;  then 
occasionally  omitted.  Prayer  will  be  re¬ 
strained  before  God,  and  this  will  soon  ex¬ 
tend  to  social  and  public  worship;  ordinances 
will  be  slighted;  the  Lord’s  Supper  neg¬ 
lected;  love  to  the  brethren  will  wax  cold; 
attachment  to  sensual  pleasures,  and  worldly 
business,  will  increase;  perhaps  prejudice, 
against  purity  of  doctrine  and  religious  prin¬ 
ciple,  will  arise  in  your  hearts,  and  it  will 
finally  lead  to  deliberate  and  gross  sin.  Be¬ 
ware  of  it.  Watch  unto  prayer;  for  it  is 
not  impossible  for  you  to  fall  into  sin — even 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  213 

the  sin  of  which  you  think  there  is  the 
least  danger,  and  against  which  you  have 
most  solemnly  resolved,  and  of  which  you 
have  most  bitterly  repented  —  yea,  to  fall 
into  it  again  and  again.  Remember  what 
Peter  did,  after  saying  to  our  Lord,  though 
I  should  die  with  thee,  yet  will  I  not  deny 
thee.  Likewise,  also,  said  all  the  disciples 
(Mt.  xxvi,  35),  and  afterwards  forsook  him 
and  fled.  O,  how  deep  will  it  pierce  your 
heart;  how  dear  will  you  pay  for  it;  how 
will  it  separate  between  you  and  your  God; 
what  desolation  will  it  spread  over  your 
soul;  yea,  more  than  all  you  ever  before 
felt.  The  agonies  of  a  sinner  in  the  first 
pangs  of  his  repentance  and  conversion,  are 
not  to  be  compared  with  those  of  the  back¬ 
slider  in  heart,  when  he  is  filled  with  his 
own  ways.  Sin  will  hide  God’s  face;  de¬ 
stroy  your  comforts;  dispel  your  hopes; 
cloud  your  evidences;  wound  your  heart 
and  conscience,  and  cause  darkness  on 
every  side;  drive  away  consolation;  em¬ 
bitter  enjoyments;  sharpen  afflictions;  re¬ 
joice  enemies,  and  bring  on  you  numberless 
19 


£14  pardon  of  sin, 

evils.  The  light  of  God’s  countenance 
expresses  the  manifestation  of  his  favor, 
and  the  hidings  of  his  face  is  a  token  of  his 
displeasure.  The  former  is  the  life  of  the 
believer;  the  latter  is  as  death  to  him  (Ps. 
iv,  6, ,7,  63;  Is.  lxix,  2;  lxiv,  7).  Who  can 
live  in  his  cold,  or  under  his  frowns? 
Though  now  the  candle  of  the  Lord  shines 
upon  you,  yet  sin  will  hide  his  face,  and 
you  may  so  lose  a  sense  of  divine  favor,  as 
to  question  whether  or  not  you  have  any 
part  or  lot  with  the  people  of  God,  and  to 
think  that  your  hopes  have  been  a  delusion, 
and  you  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  privi¬ 
leges  of  the  saints,  and  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  that  those  who  have  never 
felt  any  religious  impressions  at  all  are  hap¬ 
pier  than  yourself.  This  may  be  the  case 
for  a  considerable  time;  and  ordinances  may 
be  attended  in  vain,  and  God’s  presence  in 
them  sought  in  vain,  and  no  comfort  and 
satisfaction  found  any  where  (Ps.  xxii,  2; 
Job,  xxiii,  8,  9);  so  that  all  which  appeared 
like  religion  in  your  mind  may  seem  “  to  be 
melted  into  grief,  or  chilled  into  fear,  or 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  215 

crushed  into  a  deep  sense  of  your  own 
unworthiness;  in  consequence  of  which  you 
will  not  dare  lift  up  your  eyes  to  God,  and 
will  be  ashamed  to  come  among  his  people.” 
This  has  been  the  case  with  some  eminent 
Christians,  distinguished  by  what  God  has 
done  in  them  and  by  them.  Your  distress 
may  arise  from  bodily  disorder  or  mental 
depression,  from  providential  bereavement, 
or,  more  likely,  from  some  secret  sin  and 
idol  in  your  heart,  and  God  is  thus  intending 
to  awaken  and  humble  you,  and  cause  you 
to  put  away  the  accursed  thing,  and  prepare 
you  for  heaven.  Then  examine  yourself, 
and  return  to  God.  If  thou  return  to  the 
Almighty,  thou  shalt  be  built  up;  thou  shalt 
put  away  iniquity  from  thy  tabernacles;  for 
then  shalt  thou  have  thy  delight  in  the 
Almighty,  and  shalt  lift  up  thy  face  unto 
God.  Thou  shalt  make  thy  prayer  unto 
him,  and  he  shall  hear  thee,  and  thou  shalt 
pay  all  thy  vows  (Job  xxii,  23,  26,  27). 
Return  in  humility;  wait  on  him,  and  sub¬ 
mit  to  his  discipline.  Acknowlege  that,  for 
your  sins,  you  deserve  all,  and  more  than  all 


216 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


you  suffer;  deserve  that  your  sun  should  be 
clouded;  go  down  at  noon,  and  set  in  end¬ 
less  night.  Stay  his  time,  and  bear  his  in¬ 
dignation,  because  you  have  sinned  against 
him,  hoping  and  believing  that  he  will  at 
length  return,  and  have  mercy  on  you.  Go 
on  in  the  way  of  duty;  continue  to  use  the 
means  of  grace;  go  by  the  footsteps  cf  the 
flock  and  you  will  find  him  whom  your  soul 
loveth,  and  whose  countenance  will  create  a 
heaven  in  your  soul.  Go  to  his  table  and  if 
you  can  not  rejoice,  go  and  mourn  there — 
renew  your  application  to  the  blood  of 
Christ.  Apply  to  him  as  to  a  merciful  high 
priest  who  has  a  fellow  feeling  with  our 
infirmities.  Return  to  God  again  after  this 
apostacy  and  sin  committed  since  your 
vows  and  engagements  to  be  the  Lord’s. 
Think  of  all  the  aggravating  circumstances 
of  your  sin — your  ingratitude  and  abused 
mercies,  and  perhaps  of  the  reproach  you 
have  brought  on  religion.  Look  on  Him 
whom  you  have  pierced  and  mourn,  and 
bring  your  wounds  under  the  droppings 
of  his  blood,  by  which  alone  they  can  be 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  217 

healed.  Renew  your  covenant  with  God 
and  cry  for  mercy  and  grace,  and  in  the 
strength  of  it  labor  to  return  to  him  with 
all  your  heart.  Belay  not.  Do  not  add  sin 
to  sin  by  delay.  Escape  for  your  life;  look 
not  behind  you;  neither  stay  thou  in  all  the 
plain — lest  thou  be  consumed,  and  whilst 
you  linger  may  God  be  merciful  and  assist 
you  to  flee  and  escape  from  impending  ruin. 
Improve  the  ordinance  of  the  supper  which 
is  calculated  to  humble  and  revive  you. 
Repenting  sinners  are  the  only  persons  that 
have  any  business  there.  The  best  of  men 
come  to  it  as  sinners,  and  as  the  greatest  sin¬ 
ner,  come  to  it  in  the  exercise  of  faith  and 
repentance,  and  prostrate  yourself  before 
God;  and  when  you  have  received  tokens  of 
pardon,  do  not  forget  your  sin  nor  God’s 
mercies,  but  keep  them  ever  before  you  to 
humble  and  warn  you  in  future.  It  is  in  this 
way  that  God  establishes  his  covenant — 
that  thou  mayest  remember  and  be  confound¬ 
ed  and  never  open  thy  mouth  any  more,  be¬ 
cause  of  thy  shame  when  I  am  pacified  to¬ 
ward  thee  for  all  that  thou  hast  done,  saith 
19* 


218 


/ 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

the  Lord  thy  God  (Ezk.  xvi,  63.)  life  of 
sin  is  a  life  of  misery  and  of  want.  The 
prodigal  began  to  be  in  want,  and  every 
prodigal  child  of  God  will  be  in  want  of 
some  blessing,  temporal  or  spiritual — per¬ 
haps  of  one  that  is  of  all  others  most  de¬ 
sirable  to  him.  God  withholds  it  for  cor¬ 
rection,  for  trial  and  for  leading  the  wanderer 
back  to  himself,  the  fountain  of  life  and 
blessedness,  and  lead  him  to  his  father’s 
house,  where  there  is  enough  and  to  spare, 
while  he  perishes  here  with  hunger.  0 
God,  for  thy  mercies  sake  and  for  thy  glory 
bring  back  this  poor  wanderer,  and  suffer 
him  no  more  to  stray  from  the  God  of  his 
fathers  and  his  mercies. 

Let  me  exhort ' you,  who  have  not  yet  ob¬ 
tained  pardon ,  or  who  by  sin  have  lost  the 
evidence  of  it,  to  seek  it  without  delay — with 
all  your  heart  and  soul ,  mind  and  strength . 
Relying  on  the  promises  and  the  strength 
that  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  use  all  diligence  and 

avail  yourselves  of  all  lawful  means.  If 
%/ 

you  were  condemned  to  prison  or  to  death, 
would  you  not  use  all  diligence  and  means 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  219 

in  your  power  to  obtain  release  and  pardon, 
and  would  you  not  also  employ  your  friends 
and  neighbors  to  intercede  for  you?  Well, 
you  are  condemned  to  death  at  the  bar  of 

r 

God  and  conscience,  and  will  you  not  use 
the  same  diligence  and  employ  similar  means 
to  save  your  souls,  that  are  of  so  much  more 
value  than  your  bodies.  Will  you.  not  seek 
the  Lord  while  he  may  be  found,  saying 
take  awTay  all  iniquity  and  receive  us  gra¬ 
ciously;  pardon  mine  iniquity  for  it  is  great' — 
wash  me  and  I  shall  be  wThiter  than  snow — 
and  give  him  no  rest  till  he  blots  out  for 
his  own  name’s  sake  all  your  transgressions, 
and  saves  you  from  all  your  uncleannesses? 
Will  you  not  employ  your  friends,  and  espe¬ 
cially  the  Friend  of  publicans  and  sinners  to 
intercede  for  you?  Him  the  Father  heareth 
always.  Use  even  the  same  diligence  you  do  to 
obtain  the  things  of  this  world,  and  you  will 
not  labor  in  vain.  What  is  true  of  wisdom  is 
true  of  this.  If  thou  seekest  for  her  as  silver, 
and  searchest  for  her  as  for  hid  treasures;  then 
thou  shalt  then  understand  the  fear  of  the 
Lord,  and  find  the  knowledge  of  God — if 


220 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 


any  man  lack  wisdom  let  him  ask  of  God,  that 
giveth  to  all  men  liberally,  and  upbraideth 
not;  and  it  shall  be  given  him,  yet  let  him  ask 
in  faith  nothing  wavering  (Prov.  ii,  Jas.  i). 
The  promise  is,  seek  and  ye  shall  find;  seek 
the  Lord  and  ye  shall  live— nay  more,  yon 
are  earnestly  entreated  by  the  Saviour,  who 
says,  I  counsel  thee  to  buy  of  me  gold  tried 
in  the  fire  that  thou  mayest  be  rich,  and 
white  raiment  that  thou  mayest  be  clothed, 
and  eye  salve  that  thou  mayest  see  (Rev.  iii, 
s!8).  The  mercies  of  God,  the  joys  of 
heaven — the  eternal  happiness  of  your  soul, 
all  plead  with  you  to  seek  forgiveness.  Do 
not  plead  that  you  have  Abraham  to  your 
father — that  you  have  -pious  parents — that 
you  have  observed  the  forms  of  religion — 
have  done  something  for  the  cause  of  Christ, 
and  been  zealous  for  the  faith  once  delivered 
to  the  saints — that  you  have  a  fair  moral 
character — have  refrained  from  gross  sins 
and  have  felt  some  warm  emotions  of  piety 
in  your  heart  and  hence  have  “got  religion.” 
Ishmael  and  Esau  had  pious  parents,  and 
the  rich  man  in  hell  cried,  father  Abraham 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  221 

have  mercy  on  me  (Luke  xvi,  24).  Many 
will  sit  down  with  Abraham  and  Isaac  and 
Jacob  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  the 
children  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  cast  out  into 
outer  darkness,  (Mt.  viii,  11,  12).  To  many 
who  have  eaten  and  drunk  in  his  presence 
and  in  his  name  have  cast  out  devils  and  done 
many  wonderful  works,  Christ  will  profess 
in  that  day,  I  never  knew  you.  Though 
you  have  a  fair  moral  character,  yet  you 
have  omitted  the  weightier  matters  of  the 
law — cast  off  fear  and  restrained  prayer  be¬ 
fore  God — despised  the  Saviour  and  trampled 
under  foot  his  blood,  and  been  guilty  of 
crimes  too  numerous  to  mention.  Are  you 
then  better  than  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees 
who  sat  in  Moses’  seat  with  a  fair  moral 
character?  Is  your  conversion  any  better 
than  that  of  the  stony  ground  hearers  who 
had  warm  emotions  and  received  the  word 
gladly,  but  had  no  root  in  themselves  and 
thus  withered  away  ?  Then  dismiss  all  such 
vain  hopes  and  pleas,  and  do  not  make  ship¬ 
wreck  of  your  souls  on  these  rocks  and  sands 
that  have  been  the  ruin  of  many,  and  the  or 


222  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

I 

casion  of  false  peace  to  them  that  were  near 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  hut  not  in  it.  Say 
not  that  you  have  Abraham  to  your  father- 
hut  come  to  God  now.  Consider  the  uncer¬ 
tainty  of  life — the  importance  of  the  work 
to  he  done  in  it — the  brevity  of  the  time  for 
doing  it,  and  the  impossibility  of  doing  it 
when  the  day  of  grace  is  ended  and  time  is 
no  more.  Consider  the  advantages  of  early 
piety,  and  that  one  day  or  one  hour  spent  in 
the  service  and  enjoyment  of  God  is  far  bet¬ 
ter  than  ages  spent  in  sin  and  neglect  of  re¬ 
ligion.  Perhaps  you  are  now  convinced  of 
sin  and  guilt,  and  inability  to  save  yourself— 
convinced  that  you  are  ignorant  and  guilty 
and  polluted  and  enslaved — that  you  are 
wretched  and  miserable,  and  poor  and  blind, 
and  naked,  and  under  this  conviction  you 
are  resolved  to  come  to  God  at  some  conve¬ 
nient  season;  that  Jesus  may  be  made  of  God 
unto  you  wisdom,  and  righteousness  and 
sanctification,  and  redemption — that  you  may 
buy  of  him  gold  tried  in  the  fire  that  ypu 
may  be  rich;  white  raiment  that  you  may 
be  clothed,  and  eye  salve  that  you  may  see. 


WARNING -AND  EXHORTATION.  223 

But  come  now.  Now  is  the  accepted  time, 
and  now  is  the  day  of  salvation.  To-mor¬ 
row  may  be  too  late.  It  is  in  another  world. 
The  past  is. gone,  the  future  is  uncertain,  the 
present  only  is  ours.  Delay  is  not  only  dan¬ 
gerous,  but  it  also  accumulates  the  debt  of 
sin.  Let  not  this  artifice  of  Satan  be  your 
ruin  as  it  was  with  Felix,  who,  as  Paul  rea¬ 
soned  of  righteousness,  temperance  and  judg¬ 
ment  to  come,  trembled  and  said,  go  thy 
way  for  this  time,  when  I  have  a  convenient 
season  I  will  call  for  thee  (Acts  xxiv,  25). 
Alas,  that  season  never  came.  We  hear  no 
more  of  him.  His  convictions  wore  away 
and  he  never  sent  for  Paul,  and  most  proba¬ 
bly  died  in  his  sins.  Awful  death!  In  him  is 
exhibited  the  case  of  thousands  who  say. 
To-morrow  shall  be  as  this  day,  and  much 
more  abundant,  when  they  have  a  conve¬ 
nient  season.  When  they  have  acquired 
great  worldly  wealth  and  honor,  and  fame, 
and  grown  grey  in  sin  too — when  their  nat¬ 
ural  strength  is  gone,  and  the  world,  and  the 
pleasures  of  sin  for  a  season  have  lost  their 
charms  and  ceased  to  gratify,  then  they  will 


224 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

retire  from  the  world  and  its  follies,  and  thus 
enfeebled,  devote  themselves  to  the  Lord  and 
his  service  for  the  remainder  of  life.  Alas, 
what  folly  and  presumption.  Do  you  think 
God  will  accept  this  halt,  and  blind  and 
lame  sacrifice,  and  do  you  not  know  that 
life  is  short  and  uncertain.  “Ah  in  what 
perils  is  vain  life  engaged!  What  slight 
neglects — what  trivial  faults  destroy  the  hard¬ 
iest  frame!  Of  toil,  of  indolence  we  die;  of 
want,  of  superfluity!  The  all-surrounding 
heavens,  the  vital  air  is  big  with  death!” 
As  the  fishes  that  are  taken  in  an  evil  net, 
and  as  the  birds  that  are  caught  in  the  snare, 
so  are  the  souls  of  men  snared  in  an  evil 
time  when  it  falleth  suddenly  upon  them. 
Boast  not  thyself  of  to-morrow,  for  thou 
knowest  not  what  a  day  may  bring  forth — 
yet  it  may  bring  thee  to  death,  and  to  the 
house  appointed  for  all  living.  In  such  an 
hour  as  ye  think  not  the  Son  of  man  cometh 
(Mt.  xxiv,  44).  Or  you  may  say  you  will 
come  when  you  have  reformed  and  done 

X 

something  that  will  recommend  you  to  God. 
But  on  this  principle  you  will  never  come 


I 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  225 

Your  help  is  in  God.  It  comes  from  Zion. 

O  Israel,  thou  hast  destroyed  thyself,  but  in 
me  is  thy  help  (Hos.  xiii,  9).  There  is  no 
way  of  coming  to  God  but  through  Christ, 
who  is  the  way  and  the  truth  and  the  life; 
and  your  first  great  business  is  to  believe  on 
Him  whom  he  hath  sent,  (Jno.  xiv,  6 ;  vi,  29).  " 
As  Paul  testified  both  to  the  Jews  and  also 
to  the  Greeks,  repentance  toward  God  and 
faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  (Acts  xx, 
21),  so  we  testify  to  you.  Commit  your 
soul  into  his  hands  to  be  saved  by  him  in 
his  own  way.  This  is  the  great  act  of  sav¬ 
ing  faith,  and  may  you  and  I  know  what 
it  means,  and  be  enabled  to  say,  I  know 
whom  I  have  believed,  and  am  pursuaded  that 
he  is  able  to  keep  that  which  1  have  com¬ 
mitted  unto  him  against  that  day  (2  Tim. 
i,  12).  Come  to  him  now  as  you  are,  with 
all  your  sins  and  wants  and  unworthiness. 

In  him  is  righteousness  and  merit,  and  every 
thing  we  need.  If  you  wait  till  you  render 
yourself  worthy  you  will  never  come.  A 
patient  does  not  wait  till  he  heals  himself 
before  he  calls  a  physician,  and  why  would 
20 


226  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

you  first  heal  yourself  and  then  call  for  the 
Physician  of  souls.  Apply  to  Christ  with  a 
deep  abhorrence  of  your  sins,  and  a  firm  res¬ 
olution  through  grace  and  dependence  on 
him  for  acceptance,  to  forsake  all  sin. 
Though,  from  a  sense  of  sin  and  guilt  and 
shame  and  fear,  you  are  unable  to  speak — 
go  and  behold  the  Lamb  of  God  which 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world — go  and 
look  on  him  whom  you  have  pierced  and 
mourn — mourn  because  that  for  a  low  and 
sordid  gratification  you  have  killed  the 
Prince  of  Life,  or  wounded  him  afresh.  O, 
which  of  your  sins  is  so  dear  that  for  it  you 
would  crucify  the  Son  of  God  afresh  and  put 
him  to  an  open  shame?  Repent  of  every 
sin  and  forsake  it;  slay  it  or  it  will  slay  you 
— you  must  part  with  it  or  part  with  Christ 
and  heaven  too.  If  thy  right  eye  offend 
thee  pluck  it  out  and  cast  it  from  you — yield 
yourself  to  God,  as  those  that  are  alive  from 
the  dead — go  and  say  I  am  one  of  the  most 
sinful  and  miserable  creatures,  yet  because 
thou  hast  said  come  unto  me  all  ye  that  la¬ 
bor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  227 

rest;  him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no 
wise  cast  out;  behold  I  come  at  thy  bidding. 
O  help  me  to  come.  I  believe,  help  thou 
mine  unbelief.  Hold  out  the  golden  sceptre 
to  me — enable  me  to  touch  it  and  live.  Let 
the  life  of  my  soul  be  given  me  at  my  peti¬ 
tion,  and  of  my  people  at  my  request  (Est. 
vii,  3,).  I  have  no  equivalent  to  give.  0 
have  mercy  on  me,  make  me  thine  and  make 
me  serve  and  glorify  thee  in  life  and  death 
and  eternity.  Or  you  may  be  saying  your  life 
has  been  a  course  of  rebellion  against  God • 
Nothing  has  been  done  rightly  from  your 
earliest  days  till  now.  Mine  iniquities  have 
gone  up  into  heaven.  There  never  was  so 
great  a  sinner  as  I.  I  have  received  so  many 
mercies  and  advantages,  warnings  and  invi¬ 
tations,  and  yet  my  heart  is  so  hard,  my  na¬ 
ture  is  so  simple — my  sins  so  many  and  so 
aggravated  that  I  dare  not  hope  for  mercy. 

It  is  a  wonder  that  I  am  vet  out  of  hell.  I 

% 

dare  not  apply  to  Christ.  I  can  not  expect 
pardon — the  promises  are  not  to  me.  Can 
I  expect  that  Christ  is  willing  to  save  me. 
Must  I  not  lie  down  in  despair,  or  is  there 


228  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

hope  for  so  guilty  a  creature?  Certainly 
there  is.  God  who  is  rich  in  mercy  and 
ready  to  forgive,  says  in  me  is  thy  help  (Hos. 
xiii  9).  Is  my  hand  shortened  at  all  that 
it  can  not  redeem  (Isa.  1,  2).  God 
was  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  unto 
himself,  not  imputing  their  trespasses  unto 
them,  and  declared  that  repentance  and  re¬ 
mission  of  sins  should  be  preached  in  his 
name  among  all  nations  (2  Cor.  v,  19; 
Luke  xxiv,  47).  It  is  not  your  legion  of 
sins — your  great  and  aggravated  sins,  but 
your  unbelief  and  impenitence  that  would 
destroy  you.  Where  sin  abounded  grace 
did  much  more  abound — where  it  had  its 
most  unlimited  sway  and  unrestrained  tri¬ 
umph,  there  righteousness  reigned  to  eternal 
life  through  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord.  That 
will  clothe  you  with  the  white  robes  of  sal¬ 
vation  and  glory.  Many  who  are  among 
the  best  of  saints  or  now  in  glory,  have  been 
in  such  a  case  as  this,  and  may  God  add  you 
to  their  number.  Cast  out  of  his  sight,  look 
again  towards  his  holy  temple.  Your  case 
is  not  peculiar.  If  you  knew  the  heart  of 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  229 

others  and  their  sins  and  difficulties  you 
would  find  at  least  some  of  them  whom  you 
suppose  to  be  almost  perfect,  in  no  better 
case  than  yourself.  But  if  you  are  the  vil¬ 
est  of  the  vile ,  and  your  sins  have  gone  up 
to  the  heavens  every  day  with  great  aggra¬ 
vations,  they  can  not  exceed  in  number  and 
turpitude  the  power  of  God ,  and  the  all  siiffi - 
ciency  of  Christ's  blood  to  save .  Is  there 
any  thing  too  hard  for  the  Lord  to  do.  Does 
not  Christ’s  blood  cleanse  from  all  sin — have 
not  the  greatest  sinners  been  pardoned  (Gen. 
xviii,  14;  1  Tim.  xv,  10;  1  Jno.  vii,  9). 
Christ  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost.  He 
has  saved  the  chief  of  sinners,  and  never  sent 
any  away  that  came  to  him  for  life  and  sal¬ 
vation.  He  died  to  redeem  your  soul  from 
all  sins,  and  to  the  long  and  black  catalogue 
do  not  add  unbelief,  the  greatest  of  all,  but 
go  to  Christ  for  pardon  and  purification  and 
eternal  life.  Believe  on  him  and  you  shall 
be  saved. 

Look  to  Christ  as  the  only  Saviour ,  and 
as  your  Saviour ,  come  to  him  as  a  poor,  needy 
and  heavy  laden  sinner,  that  you  may  find 
20* 


230  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

rest  to  your  souh  O  my  soul  return  to  thy 
quiet  rest.  In  the  way  of  meeting  divine 
favor  or  justification,  all  our  righteousness 
is  as  filthy  rags.  Then  we  must  come  to  him, 
who  is  the  Lord  our  righteousness,  and  who 
is  the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness  to 
every  one  that  believeth,  and  who  is  made  of 
God  unto  us  wisdom  and  righteousness,  and 
sanctification  and  redemption.  We  pray 
you  in  Christ’s  stead  to  be  reconciled  to  God, 
and  present  yourselves  a  living  sacrifice 
holy,  acceptable  by  Jesus  Christ.  God  is 
not  willing  that  any  should  perish,  but  that 
all  should  come  to  repentance  (2  Pt.  iii,  9). 
He  is  offering  you  a  free  and  full  pardon  of 
all  your  sins.  He  is  ready  to  receive  you 
into  his  family  and  finally  unto  heaven. 
Arise  and  go  to  your  Father,  and  say,  Fathei 
I  have  sinned  against  heaven  and  before 
thee.  I  am  no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy 
son;  make  me  as  one  of  thy  hired  servants. 
We  beseech  you  by  the  mercies  of  God,  by 
his  compassion  and  goodness,  by  the  name 
and  love  of  Christ,  by  his  life  and  death  and 
all  the  painful  and  pathetic,  and  ignominious 


WARNING  AND  EXHORTATION.  231 

and  distressing  and  overwhelming  scenes  of 
the  cross — by  the  entreaties  of  friends  and 
ministers  of  the  gospel — by  a  respect  for  the 
living  and  by  the  memory  of  the  dead — by 
the  joy  in  heaven  over  one  sinner  that  re- 
penteth — by  the  scenes  of  the  last  great 
day — by  the  value  of  your  immortal  soul — 
by  the  happiness  of  the  redeemed  in  glory, 
and  by  the  wail  of  eternal  woe  in  them  that 
perish,  to  seek  forgiveness  and  acceptance 
through  Jesus  Christ.  Are  you  so  wedded 
to  the  vanities  of  the  world — to  a  carnal 
mind — to  the  object  and  ruinous  service  of 
sin  and  Satan,  or  any  such  thing  that  you 
can  not  forsake  all  for  Christ.  Are  they 
dearer  to  you  than  the  Saviour  and  salvation 
by  him.  O  sell  all  and  buy  this  Pearl  of 
great  price.  What  is  a  man  profited  if  he 
shall  gain  the  whole  world  and  loose  his  own 
soul,  or  what  shall  a  man  give  in  exchange 
for  his  soul  (Mt.  xvi,  26).  Let  not  the  riches, 
honors  and  allurements  of  the  world ;  let  not 
the  artifice  of  Satan  and  the  pleasures  of  sin 
for  a  season;  let  not  the  misguided  kindness 
of  friends  and  physicians,  who  too  often 


232  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

will  not  permit  you  to  think  of  these  things 
in  sickness,  and  in  view  of  eternity  with  all 
its  dread  realities — yea  let  nothing  hinder 
you  from  seeking  pardon  through  the  merits 
of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord  and  saviour;  and 
may  God  in  his  infinite  mercy  grant  you  and 
me  and  all  who  call  on  him  in  truth,  this 
great  and  unspeakable  blessing,  and  let  us 
ascribe  all  the  glory  and  praise  to  his  great 
and  holy  name,  world  without  end,  Amen. 

“How oft  alas!  this  wretched  heart 
Has  wandered  from  the  Lord? 

^  How  oft  my  roving  thoughts  depart, 

Forgetful  of  his  word! 

Yet  sovereign  mercy  calls  return, 

Dear  Lord  and  may  I  come? 

My  vile  ingratitude  I  mourn, 

O  take  the  wanderer  home. 

And  cans’t  thou,  wilt  thou  yet  forgive, 

And  bid  my  crimes  remove, 

And  shall  a  pardoned  rebel  live, 

To  speak  thy  wondrous  love? 

Almighty  grace,  thy  healing  power, 

How,  glorious,  how  divine! 

That  can  to  life  and  bliss  restore, 

So  vile  a  heart  as  mine, 


CONCLUSION. 


233 


Thy  pardoning  love  so  free,  so  sweet, 
Dear  Saviour  I  adore. 

O  keep  me  at  thy  sacred  feet, 

And  let  me  rove  no  more.” 


CONCLUSION. 

Finally,  let  every  one  who  has  received 
forgiveness  of  sin  never  cease  to  express,  in 
sweet  and  triumphant  song  his  gratitude  and 
praise  to  God  for  this  inconceivably  great 
blessing.  To  assist  you  in  this  exercise, 
look  to  what  you  were:  lost,  helpless;  dead 
in  trespasses  and  sin;  carnal,  sold  under  sin; 
sold  for  naught;  by  nature  children  of 
wrath,  and  heirs  of  hell,  at  enmity  with 
God,  and  exposed  to  his  wrath,  which  will 
burn  from  the  lowest  hell,  against  every  im¬ 
penitent  sinner.  Look  at  your  life  when 
serving  divers  lusts  and  pleasures;  stained 
with  crime;  darkened  and  embittered  by  sin; 
encumbered  with  cares,  and  anxieties,  and 
fearful  forebodings  of  the  future,  and  your 
souls,  under  a  deep  sense  of  the  number 
and  aggravations  of  your  sins  and  abused 


234  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

mercies,  and  base  ingratitude,  driven  to  the 
borders  of  despair.  Look  at  all  the  ills  and 
pains  of  life,  and  the  agonies  of  the  last 
conflict,  and  look  to  the  urn  of  everlasting 
death,  with  ever-burning  sulphur  uncon¬ 
sumed.  Look  at  the  guilt  and  pollution  of 
sin;  the  curse  of  the  law;  the  tyranny  of  sin 
and  Satan,  and  the  wrath  to  come.  Look 
at  all  these,  and  ten  thousand  evils  from 
which  you  are  redeemed,  and  then  consider 
the  means  by  which  this  redemption  is  ob¬ 
tained;  redeemed  without  money;  redeemed 
not  with  corruptible  things,  as  silver  and 
gold,  but  with  the  precious  blood  of  Christ, 
as  of  a  lamb  without  blemish;  redeemed  by 
Jesus  Christ,  who  for  this  purpose  veiled  his 
uncreated  glory  in  our  nature,  and  led  a  life 
of  poverty,  of  suffering  and  sorrow,  and 
died  the  painful,  lingering,  accursed,  and 
ignominious  death  of  the  cross.  Consider 
his  whole  life,  from  the  manger  to  the  tomb, 
and  all  the  painful  and  overwhelming  scenes 
of  that  hour  when  he  was  to  go  out  of  this 
world  to  make  atonement  for  sin,  and  bring 
in  everlasting  righteousness.  O,  look  to 


CONCLUSION. 


235 


God,  who,  in  love  to  sinners,  spared  not  his 
own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for  us  all. 
Look  to  Jesus,  who,  in  compassion  for 
us  guilty  creatures,' "died,  that  we  might  live. 
Look  to  that  grace  which  has  made  you  dif¬ 
fer  from  those  that  perish.  Look  to  that 
love  which  has  followed  you  through  all 
your  wanderings;  pitied  and  pardoned  you, 
and  brought  you  back  to  the  fold  of  Christ. 
Look  to  what  you  are  exalted;  to  the 
mansions  of  glory  Christ  Jesus  has  prepared 
for  you;  to  the  throne  upon  which  you  will 
sit  and  reign  with  him.  Look  to  your 
crown  of  righteousness;  to  your  robes  of 
glory;  to  your  blessed  society  and  holy  em¬ 
ployments,  in  the  new  Jerusalem,  enlight¬ 
ened  not  by  the  sun  or  moon,  but  by  the 
glory  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb.  Look  to 
the  Lamb  that  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne, 
who  will  feed  you  and  lead  you  to  fountains 
of  living  waters,  and  to  God  who  shall  be 
with  you,  and  be  your  God,  and  wipe  away 
all  tears  from  your  eyes,  where  there  shall 
be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow,  nor  cry¬ 
ing,  neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain; 


236 


PARDON  OF  SIN, 

for  the  former  things  are  passed  away.* 
Look  at  these  and  similar  things  that  are 
calculated  to  fill  your  heart  with  love  and 
gratitude  and  praise  to  God,  for  all  his  mer¬ 
cies,  and  lead  you  to  say:  God  who  is  rich 
in  mercy,  for  his  great  love  wherewith  he 
loved  us,  even  when  we  were  dead  in  sins, 
hath  quickened  us  together  with  Christ,  and 
hath  raised  us  up  together,  and  made  us  sit 
together  in  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus; 
that,  in  the  ages  to  come,  he  might  show 
the  exceeding  riches  of  his  grace  in  hiskind- 

*The  Christian  reader  will  find  his  contemplation 
of  heavenly  things  enlivened,  by  the  perusal  of  a  little 
work,  entitled:  Immanuel’s  Land,  or,  a  Glimpse  of 
the  World  of  Glory,  by  D.  A.  Harsha,  author  of 
The  Love  of  Christ;  Christ,  and  Him  Crucified,  <§-c. 
“  This  little  work,”  says  an  able  and  pious  divine,  “  is 
the  third  in  the  series,  from  the  same  pen,  and  in  the 
same  strain  of  Scriptural  piety.  If  we  mistake  not, 
the  author  has  been  trained  by  the  discipline  of  heaven 
for  the  production  of  such  works  as  these.  Early 
schooled  in  affliction,  and  made  familiar  by  experience 
with  the  consolations  of  God,  his  writings  taste  of 
the  freshness  and  simplicity  of  one  who  has  bathed 
often  in  Siloa’s  fount.”  —  Rev.  R.  F.  Cleveland,  of 
Clinton,  N.  Y. 


CONCLUSION. 


237 


ness  toward  us,  through  Christ  Jesus.  Our 
salvation,  from  beginning  to  end,  is  all  of 
grace;  not  of  works,  lest  any  man  should 
boast;  and  this  calls  for  gratitude  and  praise, 
which  every  redeemed  sinner  desires  to  give 
to  his  great  and  glorious  Redeemer.  His 
language  is,  not  unto  us,  0  Lord,  not  unto 
us,  but  to  thy  name  give  glory;  not  by 
works  of  righteousness  which  we  have  done, 
but  according  to  his  mercy,  he  saved  us.  I 
have  been  a  great  sinner,  but  God  has  been 
a  God  of  boundless  mercy  to  me,  and  now 
my  tongue  shall  never  cease  to  sing  his 
praise,  and  I  call  upon  all  to  assist  me,  in  this 
most  delightful  exercise,  which  will  be  the 
endless  employment  of  the  redeemed  in 
glory.  I  call  upon  babes  who  “  found  the 
happy  shore  they  never  saw  nor  sought  be¬ 
fore;”  upon  those  who  by  the  grace  of  God 
have  escaped  the  pollutions  of  the  world, 
and  upon  those  who  are  redeemed  from  the 
foulest  blots  of  numerous  days,  and  deepest 
guilt,  who  sinned  in  spite  of  light  and  love. 
I  call  upon  all  to  unite  with  me  in  praising 


238 


4 

PARDON  OF  SIN, 

God,  O,  magnify  the  Lord  with  me,  and 
let  us  exalt  his  name  together.  Bless  the 
Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  forget  not  all  his  bene¬ 
fits;  who  forgiveth  all  thine  iniquities,  who 
healeth  all  thy  diseases.  Bless  the  Lord? 
ye  his  hosts,  ye  ministers  that  do  his 
pleasure.  Bless  the  Lord,  all  his  works,  in 
all  places  of  his  dominion.  Bless  the  Lord, 
0  my  soul  (Ps.  ciii).  Praise  the  Lord  from 
the  heavens,  all  his  angels,  all  his  hosts; 
sun,  moon  and  stars;  ye  heaven  of  heavens, 
and  ye  waters  that  are  above  the  heavens. 
Praise  the  Lord  from  the  earth,  ye  dragons 
and  all  deeps;  fire  and  hail,  snow  and  va¬ 
pors,  stormy  wind,  fulfilling  his  word;  mount¬ 
ains,  and  all  hills,  fruitful  trees  and  all 
cedars;  beasts  and  all  cattle,  creeping  things 
and  flying  fowl;  kings  of  the  earth,  and  all 
people;  princes,  and  all  judges  of  the  earth; 
both  young  men  and  maidens,  old  men  and 
children,  praise  the  Lord  for  his  great  love, 
wherewith  he  hath  loved  us;  praise  him  for 
the  gift  of  his  Son,  and  for  redemption 
through  his  blood;  the  forgiveness  of  sins, 


CONCLUSION.  239 

according  to  the  riches  of  his  grace.  Herein 
is  love. 

“0,  love  divine!  0,  mercy  infinite ! 

0  love,  all  height  above,  all  depth  below! 
Surpassing  all  knowledge,  all  desire, 

All  thought,  the  Holy  one  for  sinners  dies ! 

The  Lord  of  life  for  guilty  rebels  bleeds; 
Quenches  eternal  fires  with  blood  divine. 
Abundant  mercy!  overflowing  grace! 

— - Mysterious  love! 

God  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt  with  man  on 
earth ; 

Blood  holy,  blood  divine,  for  sinners  shed! 

My  asking  ends,  but  makes  me  wonder  more. 
Saviour  of  men !  henceforth  be  thou  my  theme, 
Redeemng  love  my  study,  day  and  night ! 

When  man  had  fallen,  was  ruined,  helpless,  lost, 
Messiah,  prince  of  peace,  eternal  king, 

Died,  that  the  dead  might  live,  the  lost  be  saved. 
Wonder,  oh  heavens,  and  be  astonished  earth! 
Thou  ancient,  thou  forgotten  earth;  ye  worlds 
admire ! 

Canst  thou  believe  my  song,  when  thus  I  sing; 
When  man  had  fallen,  was  ruined,  helpless,  lost! 
Ye  choral  harps!  ye  angels  that  excel 
In  strength!  and,  loudest,  ye  redeemed  of  men, 
To  God,  to  him  that  sits  upon  the  throne, 

On  high,  and  to  the  Lamb,  sing  honor; 

Sing  dominion,  glory,  blessing  sing,  and  praise,11 


240  PARDON  OF  SIN, 

Dear  reader,  and  fellow  sinner,  may  it  be 
our  highest  aim  to  serve  and  glorify  God 
with  our  bodies  and  spirits,  which  are  his. 
May  it  be  our  great  privilege  to  know  the 
blessedness  of  the  man  whose  sins  are  freely 
pardoned,  and  through  the  renewing  and 
sanctifying  and  comforting  influences  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  the  cleansing  virtue  of  the 
blood  of  Christ  Jesus,  and  the  pardoning 
mercy  of  God  the  Father,  may  it  be  our 
honor  and  happiness  to  sing  the  song  of 
Moses  and  the  Lamb,  unto  Him  that  loved  us, 
and  washed  us  from  our  sins,  in  his  own  blood; 
to  him  be  glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and 
ever.  Amen.  Our  God,  our  father’s  God,  our 
Creator,  Preserver,  Redeemer,  God  over  alJ? 
and  blessed  for  ever,  our  undying  hope,  our 
all  in  all,  grant  us  these  great  but  undeserved 
favors,  together  with  all  the  blessings  of 
eternal  life.  Give  us  thy  countenance.  Be 
our  shield  and  exceeding  great  reward;  our- 
souls’  eternal  portion;  guide  us  through  life; 
support  us  in  death,  and  afterwards  receive 
us  to  glory.  We  humbly  ask  all  in  the 
name,  and  for  the  sake  of  thy  Son,  our 


CONCLUSION. 


241 


Saviour,  believing  that  as  thou  hast  delivered 
him  up  for  us  all,  thou  wilt  with  him  also 
freely  give  us  all  things.  And  now  to  God 
the  Father,  God  the  Son,  and  God  the  Holy 
Spirit,  we  would  ascribe  blessing  and  glory, 
and  wisdom  and  thanksgiving,  and  honor, 
and  power,  and  might,  for  ever  and  ever* 
Amen. 


THE  END. 


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